The Duck and the Beast
by Reiko x 3
Summary: A re-telling of the classic Beauty and the Beast fairy-tale with Princess Tutu characters. Draws from both the 90s Disney animated version and the French fairy tale, but is largely my own spin on the narrative. Primary pairing Fakir/ Ahiru. Rue/ Mytho pairing in the background.
1. A Curse is Laid

**A/N:** Thirteen story ideas in three weeks…and counting… *groans* Yeah, I am definitely obsessed. This story is basically me doing a retelling of Beauty and the Beast with Princess Tutu characters. Why? Several reasons. First: this is my favorite Disney movie ever and I have loved it since I saw it in theaters back in 1991 when it first came out. Best. Protagonist. Death scene. Ever. At least in a Disney movie. Tangled rates a close second. Lion King ranks third (mostly because we see Mufasa fall, and we see him after he's dead…but we don't actually see him die. That drops its rating.) And yes I do actually rate the quality of death scenes in the Disney movies I watch. The more tragic and dramatic the death…the higher I rate it. I have problems. Second: I also enjoy the original story the movie was based on. I was born in the mid-1980s, so I had the opportunity to watch a _wonderful_ show on PBS called 'Long Ago and Far Away' which presented myths, folk, and fairy tales from around the world. The introductions of the early episodes were done by James Earl Jones (who has an _**amazing**_ voice). The original Beauty and the Beast was not the focus of one of the episodes, but it was on the show. I watched it. I loved it. I still love it. I miss that show… Third: I KEEP SEEING FANART AND ONESHOTS FOR THIS BUT NO ACTUAL FULL LENGTH FICS…this must be corrected. Fourth: Fakir fits the role of the Beast so well I honestly cannot resist the temptation…also gives me the chance to make Ahiru Belle…and DEATH SCENE! EEEEE! I have it all planned out and it gives me such a warm tingly feeling… EEEEE! *blinks innocently* What? He gets better. That's canon for both versions of the story. I have that part planned out too… It also makes me all warm and tingly…I just like death scenes more. So yeah, this is happening. It won't match the movie perfectly because I am tying in some things from the original version. Also, who knows what the characters will end up doing in their roles? I sure don't. It's more fun for me to let my characters direct the story. There's an underlying plot that provides the base framework…but their choices and actions are seldom planned by me in any real detail. _Events_ are planned. How the characters react to them are not. I am often surprised by the shape my stories take. It's more fun that way. Wow…this author's note got long. I'll cut it off here and begin my prologue. Must…listen…to…film…soundtrack…as…I…write! LEITMOTIF! Sorry. Let us begin. **Present Day edit: Just so you know, I started writing this the same week I started writing The Knight's Tale. So all of the stuff in my author's notes dates back to last September/October. My current Princess Tutu fic idea backlog is now closer to 46 concepts; 31 of which have rough plot outlines sketched out. That isn't counting all of the ideas that never even made it to concept stage…those number somewhere in the hundreds… This is why I call the paralysis caused by having TOO MANY ideas Writer's Flood. Welcome to my life…**

 **Disclaimer:** I own neither Princess Tutu nor Beauty and the Beast (either version). I exist on the fringes of the poverty line due to my absolute refusal to spend money if I can avoid it (if I didn't I'd be permanently broke…instead I'm only sometimes broke). There is no point in suing me because it will cost you way more than you will get out of me. That would be stupid. Don't be stupid.

Prologue: A Curse is Laid

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful queen and noble king who ruled their land from a beautiful castle high in the mountains. The king and queen were well beloved by their subjects, but were themselves discontent for they did not yet have an heir to the throne. They prayed time and again for their marriage to be blessed with children, but for years these prayers went unanswered. Then, finally, when they were about to give up hope, the queen got pregnant. Soon a child was born: a son. The young prince was doted upon heavily by his parents and he was just as deeply attached to them. Yet tragedy struck when he was still quite young.

His parents were killed in a carriage crash on their way back from a diplomatic meeting; they had been traveling faster than was really safe for that time of year because it was almost his birthday and they wanted to celebrate it with him. He didn't get the news until moments before the party was due to start and it utterly shattered him. His servants did their best to help him recover from the loss yet he never fully got over their deaths. The prince loved his parents dearly and losing them so young…he grew to fear love itself for – as his young mind concluded – it would only ever bring him pain and anguish. Ultimately, it drove him to forsake the feeling entirely; never again would he suffer the pain of loss for never again would he allow himself to love. His servants tried to bring him out of his shell, but to no avail.

Years passed and the prince grew up under his servants care. They never indulged him as much as his parents had, so he managed to avoid becoming spoiled. Yet he was prideful. He did not handle perceived insults very well and it could drive him to act rashly. Furthermore, he was cold and short tempered…and yet – in spite of his best efforts – he failed at abandoning _all_ love entirely. He cared about his servants for they were the closest thing he had to a family, and he cared about the safety and well-being of his subjects…most of the time. His temper could blind him and drive him to cruel extremes. However, his servants always did their best to soothe any injured feelings their prince's abrasive personality might have caused. _They_ knew he regretted those outbursts and that the only reason he never apologized himself was because he was too proud to do so.

Yet his behavior would soon cost him dearly. Word had spread of the young prince's callous and remote nature until finally it reached the ears of a wandering enchantress. Troubled by what she heard, she set out to seek out the truth behind these rumors for herself. She decided the best way to do this would be to test him and so she wove an illusion about her form before enchanting a rose from her favorite rose bush with a powerful spell. If the prince showed that he could be kind, then the rose would bring him happiness and good fortune. Yet if he proved the rumors to be true…a curse would befall him and his entire household. Enchanted rose in hand, she set out for the prince's castle.

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Bored green eyes drifted over the party his servants had thrown in honor of his birthday. The prince appreciated the thought, but he didn't particularly enjoy parties all that much. One of the guests would always end up trying to butter him up with flattery at some point, or try to set him up with one of their daughters, or some other thing that was guaranteed to tick him off. Then he'd lose his temper, say something they'd take badly, and either Raetsel, Autor, or Mytho would chase them down and attempt to soothe their hurt feelings while he stalked off to cool down. Worse, Raetsel and Mytho would track him down later and berate him for losing his temper. It wasn't _his_ fault all the nobles of his kingdom were self-serving idiots. Plus it just felt _wrong_ to celebrate on the anniversary of the day he received news of his parents' deaths.

The prince wondered how much of a lecture he'd get if he slipped away and holed up in his ballet studio until the party was over. He was already depressed, and the air of celebration was not helping at all. If anything, it was making his mood even worse. Practicing ballet, on the other hand, always cheered him up when he was in a bad mood. "I'm going to be lectured either way," he muttered with a faint sigh, "So I may as well leave. At least then I'll be in a better state of mind when the inevitable lecturing begins." Slowly, he started edging his way along the walls of the ballroom towards the door. Unfortunately, he didn't quite make it before one of his servants spotted him.

The dark-haired prince cursed as his chamberlain intercepted him with a disapproving look on his face. "Don't start," the prince grumbled before the young man could open his mouth, "Just let me pass." "Tired of the festivities already," his young chamberlain pushed his glasses up his nose with a smirk. "You know full well I hate parties _and_ why," the prince glowered, "I don't know why you all insist on throwing one every year." "I can't speak for everyone else," the chamberlain frowned, "But I do it because my father made me promise to do so when I took over his position. It was his only condition and I couldn't exactly refuse seeing as he was on his death-bed." The prince groaned and covered his face with his hand, "Meaning I'm going to have to put up with this for the rest of my life… Wonderful." "Afraid so," and the smirk was back, "Now why don't you go mingle with your guests for a bit."

"Autor," the taller young man muttered, "With the mood I'm in I'd only end up snapping at _somebody_ before the end of the night. We both know it's inevitable if I stay. I really don't want to listen to yet _another_ lecture about controlling my temper, so I am leaving before someone does something stupid to set me off." Autor shook his head, "That would be rude to your guests." "They already think I'm a poor excuse for a prince," the prince stated dryly, "They won't be surprised." "Still," Autor tried to continue, but was interrupted when the other young man lunged forward and grabbed ahold of his cravat. The young chamberlain swallowed hard in the face of the vicious glare on his prince's face as he hissed, "Enough. I am ordering you to let me pass. Do _not_ try to stop me…or I will make your life a living hell." Autor nodded shakily and stepped to the side as the prince released him.

The young chamberlain pressed his hand to his chest to calm his racing heart as he watched the prince make a bee-line for the ballroom doors. "That attitude of his is going to get him in trouble one day," an amused female voice stated. The young man blushed and turned slowly, "Miss Rue. Yes, I quite agree. Did you…er…need something?" "Just was wondering if you'd seen Mytho lately," Rue replied, "He promised to dance with me tonight, but I can't seem to find him." Autor slumped slightly, "Oh…of course. I think he was over by the refreshment table last I saw." "Right. Thank you," the dark haired head maid nodded and headed off to seek out her target.

The young chamberlain sighed with longing as he watched her walk away before he felt someone pat him on the head. "You really should let go of that crush, Autor," a soft female voice advised, "You know she only has eyes for Mytho." "I know, Raetsel," Autor huffed, "But she's just so lovely…" "And taken," the head of kitchen staff stated firmly, "It's not healthy for you to pine over her, and it's only causing tension between you and Mytho. I'd rather not see you boys come to blows." Autor sighed and nodded, "I'll try." He then straightened his cravat and headed into the thick of the party. He had work to do; after all, as head of the household, he was responsible for ensuring that the party continued to run smoothly.

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The prince sighed in relief as he reached the ballet studio in the castle's north wing. Here he could finally relax without having to worry about his temper getting away from him. He knew full well it was a problem, but honestly had no idea on how to fix it. Best to just avoid the situations that set if off, he figured. The prince removed his gloves, jacket, and boots and walked over to the barre. He may as well get some practice in while he waited. Normally, he would have taken the time to get changed into his practice clothes, but he didn't feel like heading all the way up to his room, getting changed, and making his way all the way back down to the practice room. He'd rather spend the time squeezing in as much dancing as he could.

These days the prince felt as though he had far fewer opportunities than he would like to practice ballet. It felt as though the older he got the less freedom he had as more and more of his time was tied up with official matters. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before he started his warm up routine. He ran through the basics before moving on to more complex forms. Once he felt fully warmed up he moved into the center of the room and began one of his standard practice routines. He truly loved ballet more than anything. It was one of the few things that could still make him smile. Part of him earnestly wished that he wasn't a prince so he could study ballet full time. Maybe even become a professional dancer someday.

However, that was not an option for a person of his station. It might be an acceptable hobby, but he was not free to make a living at it. He found similar frustrations in his pursuit of becoming a writer. Again, writing stories and poems was an acceptable hobby for royalty, but he was not allowed to pursue it full time. His duties as a prince kept getting in the way. He'd mostly gotten the resentment out of his system, but he still wished that he had a bit more freedom with how he lived his life. 'Sometimes,' the prince admitted to himself as he danced, 'It feels like I'm trapped in a gilded cage. Mother… Father… Did either of you ever feel trapped like this when you were younger? I wish you could tell me… I miss you both so much…' He poured his frustration and grief into his dancing and by the time he finished his routine he felt much calmer.

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By the time the prince returned to the ballroom the guests had left and his servants were cleaning up. As he expected, he got disapproving looks from both Mytho and Raetsel, but they didn't approach him. Though Mytho's acceptance was probably related to the dark-haired maid hovering by his shoulder and occasionally brushing her hand across the back of his neck as she directed the other maids about their tasks; his eyes glazed over every time she did that. 'Thank you, Rue, for being such an effective distraction,' the prince smirked. His amusement at the maitre'd's infatuation was interrupted by a resounding knock at the castle door. His servants hesitated and looked towards the door in surprise. The party had already ended and it was quite late; plus it had been stormy on and off all week and the clouds had looked threatening all day. It was just on the threshold between spring and winter, so it could portend either a blizzard or an early thunderstorm. Neither was really pleasant to be caught in. That was why the guests had left; they wanted to avoid getting caught in the capricious mountain weather.

The prince frowned as he glanced down the main hall towards the castle doors, "I thought everyone had gone." "They did," Mytho replied as he walked over to stand by his prince, "The storm outside finally started to show signs that it was ready to stop posturing and actually deliver. Even if someone had forgotten something they wouldn't have returned. They'd risk getting caught outside when the weather turned foul again." The knock came again and somehow managed to sound even more insistent the second time. The prince glanced wryly at his maitre'd, "Then apparently someone lacks basic self-preservation instincts."

"Shall I answer the door, then," the other young man asked. The prince shook his head, "No. I'll take care of it. You all focus on cleaning things up." Mytho nodded and walked back over to assist Raetsel as the prince made his way over to the doors. Technically, it was the young maitre'd's job to answer the castle doors and greet guests, but he was used to his master insisting on doing such things himself. The young man was far more independent than was considered proper for a prince as he made a habit of doing things that were technically beneath his station; not that he cared.

The prince huffed in annoyance as the knock came a third time. "All right. All right. Be patient," he muttered as he grasped the door handle and pulled it open. He raised an eyebrow as he beheld the homely form of an old beggar woman hunched over on the front steps. "What do you want, old crone," he asked disinterestedly. "Please, my lord, I seek shelter for the night," the old woman quavered. "This is a castle," the prince stated flatly, "Not an inn or farmhouse. I'm not exactly in the habit of accepting surprise guests." Mostly because his servants needed advance notice to clear out all the dust since the spare rooms typically remained shut and locked when they weren't needed.

The only other alternative was the stables and he wasn't comfortable sending even a peasant to stay there if he could avoid it…even if they were warm and dry. Still, it was probably preferable to dying in a mountain storm and he was leaning towards telling her she could stay when she spoke up again, "I can pay." The old woman raised her head as she spoke to reveal a horrendous visage yet the prince didn't even flinch at her appearance as he replied, "Is that so?" He was mildly insulted that she thought he would require payment to persuade him. He wasn't _that_ cold-hearted regardless of what the rumors claimed.

The old woman reached into her cloak to pull out a single red rose, "Yes. With this." The prince's temper pulsed warningly as he scoffed, "A rose? You must be joking. Why would I want something useless like that?" This crone was just compounding the insults. First she assumes she needs to bribe him and _then_ she tries to offer something worthless as a bribe. It was making him angry. "This is no ordinary rose," the old woman cautioned, "It has far more value than you might think." The prince scowled as his temper started to seize control, "Are you trying to insult me? What value could a dying flower possibly have? Get out of here before I lose my patience."

"But there's no way I'll make it to shelter before the storm breaks," the old woman pleaded, "And these mountain storms are far too severe for my old body to handle. Please let me stay in your castle. I'll surely die otherwise!" "Then you shouldn't have come out this way in the first place," the prince replied coldly, "Leave. Now." His anger had fully blinded him by that point, and it was all he could do to keep himself from striking her. She needed to leave before he lost all control. "But," the old woman quavered. "I said no," the prince snarled viciously as he slammed the door shut in her face. He turned to stalk away when the doors suddenly flew open behind him.

As he turned in shock the old woman's form melted away to reveal a pale woman with green hair styled in an exotic fashion. The woman was as fair as the crone had been ugly and the prince realized she had been no mere beggar after all…she was an enchantress. He swallowed hard and took a step back warily, "Who are you?" "My name is Edel," the enchantress said in an airy tone. "What…," the prince started to ask uneasily. "I had heard the prince of this castle was a cold and callous youth," Edel cut him off in the same even tone, "And I wished to find out the truth for myself. I intended to test you…and you have failed my test." The prince took another step back, "I… I know I'm not very good at living up to the ideal of what a prince should be…but…surely you can excuse that… It's not as though I'm a tyrant or anything… I just…"

"Enough," the enchantress' voice dropped from its airy tone to become hard. The prince froze as she continued to speak, "You were willing to condemn an old woman to death because she insulted your pride. Your heart is as cold as ice, oh prince. You may not be a tyrant, but such cruelty may not go unpunished." The prince started to shake as he realized just how much trouble he was in, "I'm sorry! I know my temper is a problem! I've _tried_ to control it, but… I'm not perfect! Please just have mercy!" "I cannot," Edel replied and the prince fell to his knees in dismay. He knew he was doomed, but he feared for the others of his household. Surely she would show them mercy if he took responsibility for his actions. He clung to that hope as he bowed his head. "Then please…leave my servants out of this," he pleaded desperately, "I am the one at fault not them. Spare them and do what you wish with me." "I cannot," Edel repeated as she raised the rose in her hand high over her head.

A great wind sprung up around the enchantress and forced the prince to cover his eyes to shield them from debris from his position on the floor. Edel's voice echoed in his ears as she pronounced her curse, "Oh prince, your pride is truly monstrous, and so I place a curse upon your household. All who dwell in this place shall take on a new form that reflects their station in life while its power holds. As for you, oh prince, you shall be transformed into a shape more befitting your terrible pride. You shall become a monster for as long as my curse's power holds." The prince cried out in pain as the curse took hold and warped his flesh and bone.

His body became covered in smooth scales the same dark green shade as his hair, his hands and feet sprouted gleaming black talons as sharp as knives, his bones grew and rearranged themselves to support a quadrupedal posture if need be, a long reptilian tail burst from the end of his spine, his hair thickened and lengthened to become a flowing mane, luxuriant feathered wings burst from his shoulder blades, two black horns burst out just above his temples, his ears grew long and pointed with a frilled edge, his eyes gained reptilian slit pupils, and his mouth was filled with dagger sharp teeth with two long canine fangs on his upper jaw peeking out over his bottom lip. His clothes were torn into shreds as his frame grew to match the changes taking place and barely covered his trembling form as he collapsed in a heap from the agony of the transformation.

The prince lay crumpled on the floor of his castle as the transformation completed itself and gasped weakly for breath as the pain slowly faded. Dimly he registered that the enchantress was still speaking, "I am not entirely without mercy, however, for there is a way in which this curse may be broken. Pride, after all, is nothing more than excessive love of one's self. If you can learn to forsake this selfish love, and instead give your love to another while earning their love in return, then the curse will release you. However, if you cannot do so before the last petal on this enchanted rose falls, then you will die and your servants will remain in their transformed states…forever." Edel slowly walked forward and knelt next to the transformed prince where she gently set the rose on the ground next to him.

As he watched the enchantress stand and walk away the prince heard the frightened cries of his servants ring out as they discovered their own transformations. Yet he could do nothing more than lie on the floor as his feelings of guilt grew. 'This…is my fault,' he realized as bitter tears welled up in his eyes, 'Because I failed to control this damned temper of mine…we've been brought to this… I'm so sorry, everyone… Forgive me…' The transformed prince shuddered, curled into a ball, and cried for the first time in years as regret for his actions consumed him. He was still weeping quietly when his servants finally found him and learned exactly what fate had befallen them all.

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Years passed and the transformed prince realized there was little hope of his curse being broken. No one had come by the castle since the curse took hold and most went out of their way to avoid it. The prince was forgotten by his subjects as they went about their lives unaware of his fate. His pride had not lasted long at all before it was consumed by shame and remorse. Soon after his pride failed, the prince-turned-beast gave into his self-loathing and despair. No one would ever love him. How could they? He had closed himself off from that feeling years ago and barely remembered how it even felt.

Worse, his appearance practically _screamed_ apex predator. His looks would scare off anyone before they could even _attempt_ to get to know him. He was going to die alone…and a large part of him felt he deserved this fate. He didn't deserve to be loved…not after everything his foolish pride had brought upon the only people to truly care for him. He truly _was_ a monster… Yet his servants did not deserve to suffer for eternity as the common household implements they had been changed into. Within the walls of his castle, he prayed desperately for someone, _anyone_ , to give him a chance. Not for his sake…but for theirs…

 **A/N:** And that's the prologue. That was fun to write. Was it also fun to read? I hope so. I love writing. I really do. I sometimes think I might even be addicted to it. It sure would explain why I tend to forget to bathe…and eat…and sometimes drink when I write. The world effectively ceases to exist and all there is is me, my laptop, and the story taking form under my fingers. Geez…no wonder I like Princess Tutu. Stories are kind of my life. Reading them, writing them, building the worlds they take place in. The power of stories is a major theme of the anime…and _I get that_. Also I just _love_ classical music, so the soundtrack makes me squeal with glee. Also has interesting characters…except for Mytho for a majority of the series. Once he stops being a male damsel in distress I kind of like him, in fact. Otherwise he bores me…also he's too pretty. All the other main characters are wonderful though. Particularly Rue and Fakir…CHARACTER GROWTH! EEEEEEEE! What? I like their character arcs a lot. Fakir is still my favorite though. Poor guy… Regarding his transformation…I decided I wanted his beast form to look dragon-ish. I like dragons a lot. Plus when I first saw Fakir I kind of thought he'd make a good dragon. This opinion only strengthened as the series progressed. His appearance is reminiscent of the Ancient Dragons from Slayers TRY. Don't know what they look like? Easiest way to find out would be to type in an image search for 'Val-gaav'. At one point in the series he partially transforms into his dragon state (feathered wings and his arms are covered in scales and end in talons). Cover the entire body in those scales, add dragon-like legs and a tail, and you've basically got an idea of what Fakir's beast form looks like. Or you could just watch the anime. TRY was an interesting season… One of my favorites really. Because DRAGONS! Also Xellos came back. I enjoy Xellos. And I'm rambling. DAMMIT! BACK TO STORY RELEVANT THINGS! Some of you might be…less than thrilled by the fact that the curse will kill him if he fails to break it instead of going with the Disney version's 'remain a beast forever' consequence. Thing is…the fatal bit is slightly more true to the original fairy-tale. If you read it, or look up the segment that aired in Long Ago & Far Away to watch it, the Beast is lying lifelessly in his garden when Belle returns after leaving to see her father. I don't think it is ever clarified why, but the _implication_ is that the curse he is under _will kill him_ if he is separated from her for more than a week after she comes to live with him. I've found versions that state that the Beast is only _near_ death at this point and not fully dead, and others that say he's actually dead…at least until Belle breaks the curse. No idea which is more accurate because I don't know French, so it's not like I can read the original. So fair warning: close to the climax…there will be sad feels. Because dying is not fun.


	2. Dreams of a Duck

**A/N:** And now we have the first actual chapter. Then again…the prologue was a little over seven and a half pages counting author's notes. That's a decent chapter in its own right. Still, this is when we meet most of the rest of the cast and get the rest of the plot's foundation set up. Might even start said plot before the end. We'll see how it turns out. I only have a loose framework set up for how this story will go after all, and it isn't exactly in chapter format. Mostly it highlights differences with the movie and original story, things I tie in from both movie and original story, and bits of dialogue I came up with while I was fleshing out the idea and decided I liked. I can _do_ full plot outlines. I just prefer this format when working with established material. Less world building for me which means I can spend more time actually writing. The world building…it sucks me in… I can never escape the quagmire it becomes and before I know it ten years have passed and I haven't even started writing the damn story! This has happened to me more than once. I have…problems. Right. Enough talk. Start chapter now!

 **Disclaimer:** Do I _look_ like Disney, a dead French guy, or a Japanese anime production company? No? Then I own none of the material I draw upon for the writing of this fanfiction. I do own an old TV from 1983 though. It still works…kind of… The flickering brightness is a bit annoying. Either be bright or dim, damn it! Quit flickering! I'm okay…

Chapter 1: Dreams of a Duck

Ahiru was dreaming again. True, everybody had dreams, but for most people they tended to reflect their day's experiences in some way or another. Her dreams tended to be a bit…strange, and occasionally repetitive. "Quack," Ahiru yelped as her eyes shot open and she fell to the floor, "Ow…" The 18 year old girl rubbed her head and whimpered slightly in pain. "Not the duck dream," the red-head mumbled irately as she sat up while still rubbing her aching head, "I hate that dream…" One of her most persistent recurring dreams was of herself as a little yellow duck all alone on a large misty body of water. No matter how far she swam, the only other birds she encountered were large, graceful swans that paddled away from her the second she noticed them with a disgusted air. That dream always left her feeling lonely and inadequate which was why she hated it. Sometimes that dream ended weirdly, though.

This most recent version of her recurring dream had contained one of the weird endings because she had gotten her feet tangled in something that suddenly pulled her under the water. It was why she'd awoken so suddenly; nothing like the fear of drowning to startle one awake. Ahiru looked towards the window to her room and made a soft whining noise as she realized the sun wasn't even up yet. The horizon was light, though, so clearly sunrise would be soon. "No point in trying to go back to sleep then," she grumbled as she flopped back on her bedroom floor, "Stupid dreams waking me up too early…" The red-haired young woman lay on the floor in a daze for several minutes before she finally sighed and stood up to get dressed. The sun had just started to rise, but she moved so slowly that it was well above the horizon by the time she stumbled out her room. Ahiru was still waking up, and so was even clumsier than normal.

Miraculously, the drowsy girl managed to make it down the stairs to where her father was waiting in the kitchen without suffering anything worse than banging into the railing a few times. The man shook his head in good-natured exasperation of the state she was in, yet greeted her as kindly as always. "Good morning, Ahiru," he smiled at his adopted daughter. The red-head had never known her birth parents; the local smith, Charon, was the only father she had ever known. He'd taken her in when she was just an infant, and raised her as his own. They may not have been blood-related, but they were father and daughter none-the-less. "Morning, Papa," the young woman greeted sleepily as she made her way over to the table. "Bad dreams," he asked sympathetically. "It was the duck dream again," Ahiru clarified as she sat, "Need food to wake up…" Charon laughed and pushed over a plate full of toast, sausage, and fruit which the red-head promptly dug into.

Her father waited patiently for her to finish eating, not to mention finish waking up, before he spoke again, "I'm going to be in the forge for most of the day today. There are a few last minute pieces I need to finish before I head off to the fair tomorrow morning." "Okay," she nodded, "I can just spend the day with Pike after our lessons." The sandy haired man nodded and stood, "That sounds like a good plan. We'll catch up over dinner and you can tell me how your day went. Alright?" Ahiru nodded back and smiled brightly, "Of course! Do you think you could show me some of what you're going to be selling at the fair, then?" "Certainly," Charon laughed lightly, "I have one item in particular that I'm sure you'll enjoy. It just needs a few final touches." "I look forwards to seeing it, then," the red-head beamed. Her father laughed again and headed out the door at the back of the house with a wave. The young woman set about cleaning up the table, quickly washed the dishes, grabbed the satchel that held her practice clothes, and hurried out the door herself. She didn't want to be late for class.

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Ahiru and her father lived on the fringes of the country town of Grünefelder. It wasn't a very large town; only one-hundered people lived there with far more residing on scattered farms that came to town on market days. On these occasions, the small town was as bustling as a city and it was easy to get lost in the crowds. However, in spite of its small size, it was not bereft of cultural refinement. More than a few artists, chefs, and dancers retired to the small town once they tired of the fast pace of city life. Several of them were not content to simply wile away their retirement in idleness; they started providing lessons to those locals who were interested in learning something about the finer things in life. One of these retirees who had taken up the task of teaching those interested his art was a former ballet dancer named Medwin Katzenhaft. Ahiru was one of several young folk who had signed up to learn ballet under the old dancer's direction. Her best friend, Pike Falkenrath, was another.

Pike was a few inches taller than her best friend with magenta hair, violet eyes, and a natural grace that Ahiru occasionally envied. She could be incredibly blunt, but she was a kind woman at heart and the two girls had been close since they were both little. The magenta haired young woman waved vigourously when she caught sight of her friend,"Ahiru! Good morning!" "Good morning, Pike," the red-head called back as she hurried over, "Thanks for meeting me." "It's no trouble at all," the violet-eyed young woman waved off her friend's thanks, "It's nice to walk around town without worrying about that lunatic Femio coming out of nowhere and trying to flirt. He's too lazy to be up and about this early." Ahiru shuddered at the thought of the purple-brown haired young man, "He's so strange…" "Tell me about it," the taller young woman snorted, "I feel sorry for his poor siblings having to put up with his crazy."

The two young women chatted about this and that as they walked through town to Mr. Katzenhaft's home. He lived in a small, manor-like house that had a decent sized ballroom; it was in this room that their lessons took place. The retired dancer nodded to the two girls as they walked into the ballroom before continuing with his warm up exercises on the barre. He'd redecorated the whole room when he'd moved in to make it into a makeshift ballet studio. All the walls – save two – were covered in mirrors, the floor was varnished wood, two of the four walls had practice barre's screwed into the walls just below the mirrors that covered their upper halves, and he'd added as many light sources as he safely could in order to ensure the room was well lit.

Medwin Katzenhaft was one of the most exotic looking people in town. His skin was richly tanned for he spent much of his free time outside gardening. His hair had once been a vibrant violet, but the graying hairs he'd gained as he aged dulled the color to a more dusty tone. He maintained an impeccably groomed mustache that was his pride and joy. Most striking of all were his rich amber colored eyes. Even though he was retired and had been for a good ten years, the man still had a dancer's poise. He was lithe, lean, and moved with an almost feline grace that had served him well in his years on the stage. His students were convinced he could have continued dancing professionally for many more years, yet he had chosen to retire while still in his prime. No one really knew why as he never spoke of the matter. However, he was a marvelous teacher who clearly loved the art he taught them with a deep, burning passion.

Once the other six teens arrived, Mr. Katzenhaft moved to the center of the class room and fixed his intense amber gaze on each of them as he spoke, "Get changed into your practice clothes and take your positions on the barre. We will start by drilling the basics today. You will never be able to perform the more advanced forms without a firm foundation. I noticed last session that _some_ of you still seem to be lacking in that regard. I do not want to hear any excuses as to why this might be considering how often we practice these drills. You came to me to learn the fine art of ballet, and I expect you to show a certain degree of dedication to the art. If you are not willing to keep up on your practicing, then you may as well not show up. Am I clear?" His students nodded and replied in unison, "Yes, Herr Katzenhaft."

"Once we are done with the drills I will be continuing to work with the girls on their pointe lessons," the mustached man announced, "The young men will not be excused early, though. I will expect you to continue working on your basic drills while I direct the girls." Then he signaled his students that they were free to leave and get changed into their practice clothes. Ahiru pouted petulantly as she followed the other girls to the room the aging dancer had converted into a changing room for his female students. "At least doing pointe doesn't hurt as much as it did when we started last month," Pike whispered having noticed her friend's look. "I know," the red-head whispered back, "It's just that I always feel like I'm going to fall on my face when we practice en pointe." "You haven't yet," the magenta-haired girl replied with an encouraging grin. The blue-eyed young woman only whimpered quietly. 'Yet' was the operative word in that statement…

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Ahiru was exhausted by the end of the lesson, but was still beaming. Mr. Katzenhaft had actually told her she had shown the most improvement out of all of his students and praised her dedication. "I told you were doing better than you gave yourself credit," Pike teased her as they walked out of the manor, "But did you listen to me?" "S-sorry," the red-head blushed in embarrassment, "I guess you were right. I never really noticed any improvement, though." "That's because you have a bad habit of only focusing on your mistakes," the magenta haired girl scolded, "You've come a long way these past four years. Who knows. You may even become a prima ballerina one day and get to travel the world professionally." Ahiru's face lit up, "You really think so?!" "If you keep practicing," her friend shrugged, "I don't see why not. You don't trip over things near as much as you used to." The blue-eyed young woman's smile widened and she opened her mouth to thank her friend…right as she tripped over a loose cobblestone and fell right on her face. "Ow…," the red-head groaned.

Pike stared down at her friend and blinked, "I just jinxed you, didn't I? Sorry about that." "It's fine," Ahiru sighed as she sat up and rubbed her nose, "I know I'm clumsy." "You still aren't as bad as you used to be," her magenta haired friend admonished her, "You only run into things and trip outside of class these days." "I'm still really shaky, though," the blue-eyed girl sighed, "I could feel myself wobbling all during class." "Still better than falling on your face," Pike pointed out, "Besides, we've only been working on dancing en pointe for a month. We were _all_ wobbling. You did just as well as any of us." Ahiru crawled back to her feet and stared at the ground as they continued walking in silence for a while before she finally asked her friend, "Do you really think I could become a prima ballerina, though?" "Of course," the taller girl replied with a smile, "And when you become famous you can come visit and tell me all about all of the amazing places you've been."

The young women's conversation was interrupted by a cry of, "Ole," before a flamboyant young man leapt in front of them and stuck a pose. "Femio," Pike deadpanned, "Oh joy." Ahiru cowered behind her taller friend as the flamboyant Femio struck another pose and replied, "Greetings, fair maidens, on this fine autumn day. Pike, your face is as radiant as ever. And the lovely Ahiru. Do my eyes deceive me or have you grown even lovelier since I saw you last?" "What do you want," the magenta-haired girl asked bluntly as her poor friend tried to melt into her back. "I wish to ask the fair Ahiru a question, of course," the purple-brown haired young man smiled in what he thought was a suave manner. In truth, it tended to come across as just being creepy.

Ahiru gave a squeaky quack and pressed even further into her friend's back. "She doesn't want to talk to you," Pike stated flatly, "Why don't you go bother someone else." "Nonsense," Femio persisted and stepped around the taller young woman to reach out a hand towards the cowering girl, "Fair Ahiru, I…" The red head yelped and sprinted away as fast as she could before he could finish talking. "Ah! Oh dear, the poor thing is intimidated by my handsome self," the flamboyant young man moaned, "What a sinful man I am to be cursed with such beauty that even the fairest of maidens blushes to look upon my countenance!" "Keep telling yourself that," Pike muttered before chasing after her friend calling, "Ahiru! Wait up!"

"Ah, Femio dear," a dreamy female voice cooed, "Did Ahiru run away from you again? Poor thing. She's really scared of you isn't she?" "Nonsense, Lilie," Femio preened, "She is merely intimidated by my beauty. No doubt she feels she is unworthy to be in my presence and retreats out of shame. She could not be any more wrong. For she… She is the only woman in this whole town whose beauty is comparable with mine. We're meant to be!" "That's right," Lilie cheered, "Never stop trying, and when you inevitably fail I'll be there to pick up the pieces!" Femio Brinkerhoff was the youngest son of a powerful merchant family and was convinced that he was the town heart-throb. He had spent years going around town flirting with all of the girls and claiming that while he could give his heart to none of them alone, he would love them all the same.

However, all that changed when Ahiru turned 16. She had been an awkward, clumsy girl for most of her life that'd had no figure to speak of. Then she finally started to fill out; she wasn't as busty as some of the girls in town, nor were her curves particularly extravagant. She had a petite build, yet her figure perfectly matched that build. Where she had once been gangly and awkward she was now willowy and poised…mostly. She was still a bit of a klutz with a tendency to run into or trip over random objects, yet there was an odd sort of grace to her falls. Calling her a beauty was perhaps a bit of an exaggeration, but she did have a sort of charm that drew people to her. She was a sweet girl and was fairly well liked in spite of her odd quirks such as her tendency to quack like a duck when startled or scared.

Femio had been hooked, and immediately built her up onto a pedestal as the ideal of feminine beauty. Yet Ahiru was no paragon of loveliness. Her freckles made her look far too childish for one thing, and her petite features emphasized that trait. The most that could be said about her was that she was adorable or cute; even as a young woman. However, Femio had persisted in building her up in his mind as this perfect woman who was utterly without flaws. He blocked out everything about her that didn't match up to his perfect image, so he never noted her clumsiness, her freckles, or her peculiar habits. The fact was the brown-violet haired man was the only one who saw her as anything extraordinary…and all of his reasons existed solely in his head. He didn't really love Ahiru…he loved his illusion of her.

His constant companion, and arguably the closest he had to an actual friend, was Lilie Kneller. She was actually a distant cousin to the Brinkerhoff family, but her favorite relative – or to be more accurate _target_ – was Femio. Put quite simply, she was a sadist. That said, she was clever about how she got her kicks. She played the long game and focused her attentions on a particular target by building them up for a massive failure. Her longest running project was encouraging her cousin's delusions. She knew full well the red-haired young woman couldn't stand her flamboyant relative, and derived great amusement from _her_ distress and _his_ obliviousness. "Come, my dear cousin," Femio proclaimed, "If the fair Ahiru is too shy to face me in public, I must arrange a more intimate meeting to confess my undying love for her!" Lilie only giggled happily as she followed her cousin over to the pub to discuss the matter over a bottle of wine.

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Pike found Ahiru huddled up under the bridge leading out of town and sighed sadly. Her friend was terrified by Femio's sudden infatuation with her, and was terrible at hiding her feelings. "Hey," she called gently," You okay, Ahiru?" "Yeah," came the huddled teen's quiet reply. "You'd think that creep would take a hint one of these days," the magenta-haired young woman sighed as she took a seat on the bridge railing, "You haven't exactly been all that subtle." "I can't help it," the hidden teen moaned, "Every time he comes near me I just feel this uncontrollable need to flee." "If anything I'd say that's a sign your survival instinct is perfectly functional," Pike pointed out, "He doesn't even know you yet he insists that he loves you? Life doesn't work like that." "It does in some fairy tales," Ahiru pointed out. "But those are fairy tales," the violet-eyed teen replied, "This is real life."

"You don't think there is such a thing as love at first sight," her hidden friend asked. "I believe in infatuation at first sight," the magenta-haired girl stated bluntly, "Love requires understanding and connection between two people. You have to spend time with someone before you know if you really love them or not. Femio is chasing after the illusion of love. What do you think he'd do if that illusion broke?" Ahiru made a slight whimpering sound in response as Pike nodded firmly and continued, "Exactly. Trust me. Your reaction is perfectly appropriate under the circumstances." Her friend slowly crawled out from under the bridge and looked up at her friend, "Pike?" "Hm," the taller girl looked down at her friend curiously. "Can we spend the rest of the day together," the red-haired girl asked sheepishly.

"That's a bit of an abrupt topic change, but I suppose so. Why didn't you bring it up sooner," her friend queried. "My dad's going to be working in the forge all day finishing up the wares he's going to be selling at the fair tomorrow," the shorter girl explained, "and it's been a while since we've done something where it's just the two of us… I was about to ask after the whole prima ballerina thing, but then Femio…" "Say no more," Pike smiled, "I have no problem with us spending the day together, but we may want to spend the day at my house instead of hanging around town now that that nutcase is out and about." Ahiru giggled slightly and nodded. The taller teen jumped down to her friend's level and they both headed for the Falkenrath house.

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Ahiru sighed as she walked in the door to her house that evening before calling out, "I'm home, Papa." "I'm in the sitting room, duckling," her father called back. He'd called her duckling since she was just a little girl and he'd never dropped the nickname. Honestly, she kind of liked it. Ducklings were cute. She made her way into the sitting room and suddenly froze with a gasp as she saw what her father had made. "Oh… _wow_ …," she breathed. "Not bad, eh," Charon grinned back at her, "It took me ages to make a version that was both pleasing to the eye and still functional." Resting on the table was the most beautiful suit of armor she had ever seen.

The armor was mostly gleaming steel plate mail with steel chain filling the gaps between plates. The theme was clearly intended to emulate a swan. The helmet had swan wings coming off the sides and a swan's head and beak coming down the nose guard. The breastplate bore a gold plated etching of a swan in flight while the shoulder guards bore etchings of swimming swans. The edges of the plates where covered in pearly white enamel in a feathered pattern. The cloak for the armor was white silk with silver threads tracing out yet another feathered pattern. The greaves were covered in silver plated etchings of swan wings as were the gauntlets. The whole suit seemed to glow in the candlelight and the total effect took her breath away. "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Ahiru breathed, "Where'd you get the idea?" "From the old story of the Swan Knight," Charon replied, "Son of Parzival, Keeper of the Grail Castle." "I don't think you've ever told me that story," the red-head tilted her head to the side.

"It's not a happy story," her father explained with a sigh, "In its most basic form, it's about a knight by the name of Lohengrin who was one of the Grail Knights. He and the other Grail Knights were tasked with traveling forth to help kingdoms in need of protection, though they must never give out their names. Lohengrin was sent to aid a duchy who had lost their male heir. The late duke also had a daughter, by the name of Elsa, and she was not in the strongest position to inherit her father's lands. Lohengrin arrived on a boat pulled by an enormous swan and offered to aid and protect her on one condition: that she never ask his name. She accepted his condition and she became duchess. Eventually, she wed Lohengrin and they were very happy together."

Charon took a deep breath before concluding the story, "However, one day she broke the condition he gave her and begged him to tell her his name. With a heavy heart, he did so and explained his origin…and the consequences of her questioning. He was required, as a Grail Knight, to depart immediately and return to the Grail Castle if his name were ever to be revealed…never to return. Elsa pleaded with him not to go, but he had no choice. Lohengrin left on his boat pulled by a swan, and Elsa never saw her husband again. There have been several versions of the tale. In some Elsa lives on and eventually re-marries, but never stops regretting the loss of her beloved Swan Knight. In others she never re-marries and remains true to her long lost love. There are even a few where she takes her own life rather than live on without him…"

Ahiru's eyes had teared up by the end, "But all of those endings are so sad…" "Indeed they are," Charon sighed, "But it is a classic tale of knightly valor, fealty, and dutifulness. Lohengrin is often held up as a paragon of knighthood for not even love is enough to prevent him from keeping his knightly vows. Elsa, depending on the version, is held up as either an example of the dangers of curiosity and the value of obedience, a paragon of womanly fealty to her absent husband, or a tragic figure who holds love to be more important than her own life." "I don't think I like it very much," the red-head frowned, "I prefer stories with happy endings." "Most do," her father agreed, "Still, the figure of Lohengrin is an inspiring one. The armor should fetch a decent price at the fair from the quality alone, but adding in the tie-in to Lohengrin will only increase its value in the eyes of some." Ahiru sighed and nodded before looking at the armor sadly, "I just wish something so beautiful had a nicer story attached to it…" Charon hugged his daughter gently, "I know you do, duckling. I know. Now how about I fix us up some dinner." The red-head nodded again and smiled weakly, "Yes please!"

Her father chuckled and ruffled her hair before heading into the kitchen. The blue-eyed teen sat and stared at the armor while she waited. It really was beautiful…but she wished the story wasn't so sad. She was snapped out of her internal musings when Charon called to tell her dinner was ready. The father and daughter chatted about their days over their evening meal. Her father had managed to finish all of the swords and armor he intended to sell at the fair. All of it was packed and ready to go in the wagon save for the Swan Armor. Ahiru, in turn, told him about her ballet lessons, her run in with Femio – which had made her father scowl in irritation, and ended with her day with Pike at her house. "Pike's house is huge," the red-head admitted, "Her family must be really rich." "She's a Falkenrath, correct," Charon mused, "I believe her family used to be nobles before one of her ancestors disgraced their family name and cost them their title. They must have managed to hang on to some of their old wealth and found other ways to maintain their old standard of living."

The blue eyed young woman hummed softly before stating, "Pike's parents are usually away from home on business. I don't remember what it is they do, but they sure work hard at it." "I'm not surprised," the smith laughed before continuing wistfully, "I knew her father, Wilmot, when we were both children, though not very well. He was always out and about looking for work from whomever would have him. From what I recall, Tibelda was similar and they ended up bonding over it when they were first introduced. He talked about how he'd never met anyone who could match his work ethic before her for months. They were friends long before they were husband and wife." Ahiru looked a bit confused by her father's tangent, but smiled anyways. All she really got out of it was that her best friend's parents had always been hard-workers and were happy together.

After dinner, Charon packed the Swan Armor away and moved to store it with the rest of his wares. Ahiru pulled down one of the books her father kept around for entertainment in the evenings and started to read. It was an atlas that gave an overview of many different kingdoms and lands. Pike's talk about her one day becoming a famous ballerina and traveling the world had reminded her of one of her old childhood dreams and she soon found herself enraptured by the places described in the book. The more she read the more she remembered. 'I still really do want to travel,' she thought as she turned the page, 'I want to see the world and its wonders for myself one day. Maybe as a ballerina, or maybe as something else. I just want to go out into the world and see what there is to see.'

She kept reading the atlas and daydreaming about the places it described until Charon tapped her on the shoulder. "It's time for bed, Ahiru," the smith told her gently, "I'll need your help with hooking up the wagon tomorrow, so you need to be up early." Ahiru sighed and put the atlas away. She wanted to read a bit more, but she knew how awkward that old wagon could be. The father and daughter both got ready to turn in and bid each other good night before retreating into their rooms. As she lay in bed waiting for sleep to come she couldn't stop thinking about the world outside her home village. Slowly, she drifted off to sleep and her dreams that night were filled with exotic lands she'd never seen, but desperately wanted to.

 **A/N:** I seem to have a natural inclination towards doing my first chapters as slice of life bits. Huh. You learn something new every day. Obviously, Ahiru is Belle, Charon is Maurice, Lilie is Lefou, and Femio is Gaston. My reasoning for sticking Femio with that role even though it doesn't fit him all that well? The only other character from the show that could pull it off is Mytho in Raven mode. As I already have normal (ish) Mytho in another role I can't really use Raven!Mytho as Gaston without things getting really confusing. It is really hard to have two people be identical, not have them be related, and make it work in a story. Do not _talk_ to me about doppelgangers. Femio was pretty much my only option…which works for me because he kind of gets on my nerves for the entire episode he's featured in. Ahiru's duck dream is in no way foreshadowing. It's only recurring because the feeling that it was born from is constant: her own feelings of inadequacy and general lack of confidence. That is its only meaning. As for the story of the Swan Knight…to quote the Wikipedia article I referenced: " **Lohengrin** is a character in German Arthurian literature. The son of Parzival (Percival), he is a knight of the Holy Grail sent in a boat pulled by swans to rescue a maiden who can never ask his identity. His story, which first appears in Wolfram von Eisenbach's _Parzival_ , is a version of the Knight of the Swan legend known from a variety of medieval sources. Wolfram's story was expanded in two later romances. Richard Wagner's opera _Lohengrin_ of 1848 is based upon the legend." Now you know where the writers for the show got the idea for the name of Fakir's sword. One of these years I really need to watch Wagner's operas… I keep putting it off…mostly because _I don't speak German_! I want to know the words to the songs and what they mean! AGH! Sad feelings… Plot starts next chapter. Going to go mope now over the unfairness of the universe…


	3. To the Fair? Or not

**A/N:** I just realized I never covered people's ages. So here is a quick overview. Ahiru, as I mentioned last chapter, is 18 as are Pike and Lilie. Femio is 23. Mytho, Autor, and Rue are all 24 years old. Fakir is 25. Reasoning for this is that, according to the movie timeline, the rose will bloom until the prince's 21st year of life, and in 'Be Our Guest' Lumiere states they've been cursed for 10 years. That means the prince was 11 years old when he was cursed. I don't know about you, but I find it to be unrealistic to curse an 11 year old kid for being a selfish prick. He was a _kid_! Do you have any idea how many kids are still selfish little jerks at age 11? A lot of them are. That's just plain silly. Now if he was a teenager and still had those issues…bit more understandable. Not to say teenagers are without their own issues, but still…cursing teens makes more sense than cursing kids. So Fakir was 15 years old when he was cursed which is the same age he is in series canon. Raetsel is 31 years old and her husband is 35. Charon is…eh…I'm gonna say 55. My mom's in her late 50s and is still pretty active. Between the swimming laps, skiing, horseback riding/horse training, and church stuff… This is realistic in my mind. Drosselmeyer is 75. Uzura is 5 (don't ask how that works. I don't want to think about it…). Mr. Katzenhaft (a.k.a. Neko-Sensei) is 62. That's the ages of everyone important. You don't need to know Edel's age. She's an enchantress. Assume she's much older than she looks. Now let's get to the actual plot of the story. Man, my plot progression is slow… **Present day edit: I CAN'T RESPOND TO GUEST REVIEWS! THE SITE WON'T LET ME! So if you have an account, please sign in before reviewing. You have NO idea how frustrating it is for me to have people ask me questions and not be able to answer them… If you don't have an account… I'm not going to be able to interact with you guys. Sorry.**

 **Disclaimer:** I do not, have not, and will never own any of the things I am using for this fic. Except my laptop…maybe…no, my parents paid for that…but they gave it to me… I think that means it's mine… Right?

Chapter 2: To the Fair? Or not…

Ahiru looked up at her father in concern, "You sure you have everything, Papa?" Charon smiled down at his daughter from where he was arraigning the last of his wares in the back of the wagon, "Quite sure. Would you get Fafnir from the stable for me? This wagon won't pull itself." The red-head nodded with a bright smile, "Sure." She trotted over to the stable where she was greeted by a friendly whicker from the brown horse that called it home. "Hey, there Fafnir," she cooed as the horse bumped her chest with his head playfully, "Come on boy. Papa needs your help." She got his halter down off of the stable wall and put it on the gelding's head before opening the gate and leading him over to the wagon.

Charon smiled as he took the lead-rope from his daughter's hands and started putting the harness and reins on the docile gelding. Ahiru helped out as best as she could and soon enough the horse was suited up. Her father carefully fastened the tongue to the harness, climbed up onto the wagon's seat, and picked up the reins. "You take care of yourself while I'm away," the sandy-haired man cautioned, "All right, Ahiru?" "I'll be fine, Papa," the red-headed teen assured her father, "I hope you make a good profit at the fair this year!" "Thank you, duckling," Charon laughed, "Well, I'd better be off. There's only so much daylight at this time of year." Ahiru nodded and stepped back from the wagon before waving, "Goodbye, Papa! I'll see you in a few days!" Her father flicked the reins which prompted Fafnir to start walking down the road before turning and waving back, "Good-bye, Ahiru!"

The fairgrounds were a full day's ride from Grünefelder, so in order to make it in time Charon had to leave early in the morning the day before. He'd already made arragements with his cousin to stay with her and her family the night before and after the fair as he did every year. As he prompted the brown gelding to take up a brisk trot, the sandy-haired smith mused about what a fine young woman his daughter had grown into. She'd come into his life around this time of year when she was but a year old. He'd been on his way back fair after a particularly profitable day when he'd come across the wreck of a wagon on the banks of a boggy pond. He'd immediately pulled over and leapt out to check for survivors, but only found corpses. Then he heard an child's whimpering. When he'd followed the pathetic cries they led him to a woman's broken body lying half in the water. In her arms, miraculously unharmed, was a year old girl child who was pawing at the woman's chest and making hungry mewls. She had been wrapped in a blanket with little yellow ducks all over it and the name 'Ahiru' embroidered in the corner.

Charon was not the sort of man to just abandon a hungry infant, and immediately gathered her up before turning back for the last town he'd passed. The innkeeper's wife had been more than accommodating in helping him feed the orphaned child, and he learned something of the wrecked wagon's owners. They had passed through town the day before and had stopped to buy some food before continuing on their way. The wagon belonged to the patriarch of a rather large extended family. He was traveling with his children, their spouses, and grandchildren in hopes of finding a place to start a new life. The innkeeper's wife recognized the infant as belonging to a lovely young couple, the patriarch's youngest daughter and her husband, who had been so very hopeful about their future together. Ahiru turned out to be the girl child's given name as her mother had eagerly shared it with anyone who'd asked after it; she had been so very happy. Learning that the wagon had wrecked and apparently claimed the lives of all its passengers, save the infant, struck them both as being a terrible tragedy.

The innkeeper's wife had offered to take in the orphaned girl, but Charon had other plans. He and his sweetheart had always talked about having a large family, but when she died of illness a month before their wedding he had given that dream up for lost. Now, here, he had a chance to raise a child who had nothing left. He would raise her as his own daughter, he'd insisted, and give her every happiness he could. Her family could rest easy knowing that at least one of them would have a happy life. He'd returned to Grünefelder a day later than normal and immediately sought out one of the local farmwives for aid in supplying the infant Ahiru – for he had elected to call her by her given name so she would have _something_ to connect her to her birth parents – with the food and clothing she would need. He took to calling her duckling partly because of the duck blanket she had been wrapped in, partly because the pond the wagon wrecked near had a large population of wild ducks, partly because of her adorable tendency to quack like a duck when startled, and partly because she was about as graceful as a duck on dry land when little.

'It seems like only yesterday, ' Charon mused wistfully, 'That she was toddling around the house and tripping over everything. My how time flies.' Ahiru had been such a happy child, in spite of the tragic loss of her entire family, but her young age probably had a lot to do with that. She had been far too young to remember them when they died and, even though she knew full well she was adopted, considered the man who raised her to be the only father she had or wanted. The aging smith continued reminiscing about his daughter's childhood and adolescence as he traveled. He only snapped out of it once Fafnir balked at crossing the bridge at the foot of the mountains that separated the valley Grünefelder was located in from the neighboring valley the fairgrounds were in. He blinked in surprise and looked up at the sky; it was already noon. Far more time had passed, and he had traveled farther, than he realized. Charon flicked the reins and Fafnir slowly crossed the bridge with an agitated toss of his head.

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The mountains dividing the two valleys had a lot of stories attached to them. Once their lands had not been under the control of rival noble houses, but were ruled by a royal family that lived in a lovely castle known as Goldkrone Castle that was located somewhere in these peaks. However, the royal line was believed to have been exterminated some ten years ago when the heir to the throne vanished. It was rumored he had been slain by a hideous monster that had taken up residence in the old castle after the prince's death, though these claims were not really believed by most folk. Even those who had been alive when he'd vanished treated these rumors with skepticism. They knew the prince was missing, but almost all of them assumed a more mundane explanation such as his dying of a secret illness, being assassinated by an ambitious member of court, or being kidnapped.

There were other stories as well; tales of buried treasure hidden among the rocky spires and tales of secret villages of fae who lure travelers into peril for their own amusement. There were tales of lost kingdoms, tales of isolated towers belonging to powerful sorcerers, and tales of spirits who would help or harm travelers depending on their moods. Charon knew them all for he loved stories; he firmly believed that all stories, even fairy tales, carried a grain of truth no matter how fantastic. Take the story about the vanished prince for example. The smith was one of those to have been old enough to remember the days when the royal family ruled.

He remembered the rumors about the prince's foul temper and callous nature. He remembered how people used to say it would get him into trouble one day. He remembered when word reached their town that the prince had vanished and only a monster remained. He didn't truly believe that there was a monster living in the old royal castle or that it had killed the prince. However, he was equally skeptical of the stories about him dying of illness, being assassinated or being kidnapped. Still, there was no denying that the young man had not been seen in ten years. Clearly something had happened to the prince, though he knew not what. Charon guided the wagon along the mountain road as he reflected on both the old stories and the fate of the missing prince. Perhaps one day someone would discover what had happened to the poor young man.

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It was late in the afternoon when Charon finally reached the crossroads deep in the mountain woodlands. The mountain range that divided the two valleys also connected several smaller valleys and their respective villages, and also contained a road that lead to the nearest actual city. Not to mention a few roads that led to destinations unknown. However, the spring storms had apparently taken out the sign post which left the smith in a bind. While he had traveled to the fair every year since he had inherited the forge from his father, he always got badly turned around while traveling in the mountains and could never remember which road let where. He frowned in concertation; which road was the right one… If he chose wrong he could be lost in the mountains for days if not weeks. This was a troubling situation. Sometimes the winter storms broke early out here. It may have been mid-autumn, but that didn't mean anything in the mountains. He was not dressed heavily enough to cope with such weather. The smith got down from the wagon and looked carefully down each road before he sighed in resignation. He was just going to have to guess and hope he got lucky.

He climbed back into the wagon and flicked the reins to get Fafnir moving. The gelding shifted uneasily, but moved forwards. However, when he tried to direct the horse down the road he had chosen the animal shied and tried to head for one of the other roads. Charon had no idea that after all the years he'd taken the route Fafnir knew exactly which road was the right one. Yet the smith did not trust the equine's horse sense and remained firm, "What's gotten into you, boy. Come on now. Hup!" Reluctantly, the horse took the road his master had chosen but refused to go faster than a sullen walk. The road wound further and further into the mountains and, gradually, started to climb. The smith was starting to suspect he had taken the wrong road after all and started keeping an eye out for a good place to turn around.

Suddenly, Fafnir let out a frightened whinny and bolted forwards. "Whoa, boy," Charon cried as he tried to rein in the panicked horse, "Whoa!" The dark brown gelding ignored the tugging at his reins and continued to run; he smelled wolves! The frantic horse soon plowed off the road and ran through the underbrush. The smith feared the gelding's panicked flight would carry them over a cliff and uttered a brief prayer that this would not be the case. His prayers were partially answered in that the horse broke out of the woods to find his footing on another, broader, and even more poorly maintained road that lead into a narrow gap between two cliffs. The wagon barely squeezed through and Charon had to stifle a groan as he glimpsed the rising, falling, and twisting track the road took through a narrow mountain valley before climbing up a distant ridge.

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Fafnir continued to run until he came to a sharp corner at the top of the ridge Charon had spotted earlier. The frightened horse skidded to a halt and reared up in panic. The smith desperately tried to soothe the frantic animal and managed to calm him enough to hold still. The man climbed down from the wagon and moved forwards with the intent to grab the gelding by his bridle to turn him around. Yet just as he reached the animal's head Fafnir spooked again, wheeled sharply, and bolted in terror. Charon grunted as the horse slammed into him and knocked him over; he was lucky that the impact also knocked him back a ways otherwise the wagon would have run over him as well.

Winded from the blow, he lay where he fell for a few moments before he groaned and started to climb back to his feet. He was dismayed to find both Fafnir and the wagon were long gone; he was stranded in the middle of the mountains on a road he did not recognize. Worse, the late afternoon sun was slowly being blocked out by advancing storm clouds. He couldn't stay where he was. Charon needed to find shelter and his best hope was to continue down the road. If he was lucky he'd find a woodman's shack or cave he could take shelter in for the night. With a heavy sigh, the smith set off down the road and prayed he would find someplace to spend the night. The distant howling of wolves accompanied him on his trek and caused him to shudder. He had no real issues with the animals, but the sound itself was chilling to say the least.

The sun had long since set by the time Charon caught sight of a light shining through the darkness. He started to run towards it in hopes that he would find a bed for the night as he was swiftly growing exhausted. He was also starting to feel increasingly uneasy for it seemed as though the distant howling had been growing closer and closer as he traveled. Onwards he ran before he suddenly realized the howling had stopped. This did not comfort him any. He knew enough about wolves to know that the cessation of howling meant that the pack was on the hunt. The last round of howling had been uncomfortably close. He picked up his pace until he was gasping for air from the exertion.

He was running so fast that he just about slammed into a pair of wrought iron gates that suddenly loomed before him. The gates opened easily and he slipped through before slamming them shut. As he looked back, he saw the dim forms of wolves milling around outside the gates. The pack had been right on top of him before he slipped through to safety. Charon sighed in relief before looking around to see where he was. He found he was standing on a massive bridge spanning a deep mountain gorge. Upon turning around fully he froze in shock; there, standing on an isolated rocky outcropping, was a large castle with a light shining out of one of the upper windows. This was the source of the light he had spotted. He would have continued staring in shock if a sudden gust of wind hadn't reminded him of the storm he was trying to avoid. Panting harshly from his flight from the wolves, Charon made his way across the bridge.

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By the time Charon reached the castle proper it was pouring rain; honestly, he considered himself fortunate that it was rain and not snow. Still, he was utterly soaked by the vigorous downpour and was eager to get indoors and dry off. He knocked twice on the doors and huddled on the steps to wait for a response. However, no one came to the door; the smith knocked a second time, but this, too, garnered no acknowledgement. The light on the upper floors was the only indication that the place might be inhabited. Losing patience, and starting to shiver with cold, the man pushed at the doors and found, to his surprise, that they were not only unlocked but opened easily with barely a sound. "Hello," he called out, "Is anyone here?" Only silence answered his calls. Charon stepped through the doors and shut them behind him before looking around. The castle's main hall was large, dim, and sparsely decorated. Aside from a few scattered benches, several badly tattered tapestries, a few faded paintings, and a table with a clock and candelabra resting on it, the room was bare.

"Hello," he called out again, "I don't mean to intrude, but I'm afraid I have lost my horse and have no idea where I am. Please, may I rest here for the night? I promise I won't be a bother." Again, only silence answered him. "How very strange," he muttered as he looked around, "I was sure I saw a light here, yet the place seems utterly abandoned." He was startled as the candelabra suddenly flared to life and a muffled yelp sounded. "Hello," he called out cautiously, "Is someone there?" "Yes," a pleasant male voice replied from nearby, "Sorry about that, but a certain glasses-wearing twit who shall remain nameless was being obstinate. So you need shelter for the night? That shouldn't be a problem." "I am _not_ a twit," an indignant male voice snapped harshly before it started cursing.

Charon looked around again; the voices sounded close by, but he could see nobody even with the added light from the candelabra. "Are you…invisible," the smith asked warily. "Of course not," the first male voice replied with a slight laugh, "Look over here." "Where," the sandy-haired man wondered. "Over on the table," the voice clarified. Slowly, he turned to look and blanched when he realized the candelabra was waving at him. "Please don't freak out," the candelabra, which he now noticed the center branch had a design like a male face for a candle-holder, pleaded, "You have _no_ idea how long it's been since we've had visitors. My name is Mytho. And you are?" "Uh, Charon," the smith blinked in shock, "I'm the smith of Grünefelder town."

"Pleasure to meet you, Charon," Mytho the Candelabra jumped down from the table and hopped awkwardly over, "Grünefelder's quite a ways away from here. You must be tired from your journey. Please follow me." "Are you out of your _mind_ , Mytho," the second male voice snapped; Charon realized it was coming from the clock. "Come now, Autor," Mytho chided, "It would hardly be polite to send the poor man back out into the cold and damp." "That's _not the point_ ," the clock, Autor, hissed as it brought one of the decorations on its side up to the carved male face above the actual clock face as though it were trying to rub the bridge of its nose, "You _know_ how much the master hates having strangers in the castle. He may have tolerated it in the old days, but his mood has been so foul these past few years that I shudder to think of how he'd react _now_."

The two ornaments continued to argue about the consequences of Charon staying in the castle while the man in question was seriously starting to question his sanity. "Perhaps I hit my head when Fafnir knocked me over," he muttered, "And I'm still lying on the ground unconscious and dreaming all of this." It seemed a far more rational explanation than talking fixtures. The smith sneezed abruptly which brought the increasingly hostile confrontation between clock and candelabra to an end. "Ah, forgive me," Mytho cried in dismay, "I am such a terrible host. Please, follow me into the parlor and we'll get you warmed up." The candelabra started bouncing across the main hall towards a hallway on the far side of the room and, with a shrug, Charon followed. The clock trailed behind grumbling under its breath. The candelabra continued down the hall before pausing before a door to the left and, using its two arms, pushed the door open before heading inside. The smith followed while still wondering if he wasn't having some surreal dream.

Mytho paused next to a large chair that was sitting before a large fireplace that, against all logic, had a crackling fire burning on its hearth. The candelabra gestured to the chair, "Please take a seat and make yourself comfortable. I'll send for some tea and perhaps find you some reading material." "Now I _know_ you're insane," the clock moaned as he watched the man take a seat, "You _know_ that's the master's favorite chair. Why couldn't you have just had him sit on the floor…?" "That would have been rude," Mytho countered primly before heading for a jury rigged system of strings hanging down from what, to Charon, looked like an old bell ringing system. Somehow the candelabra managed to grasp one of the strings and gave it two brisk tugs. "There," it stated in a satisfied tone, "Someone should be by soon with some nice hot tea to warm you up. Now…where are those old manuscripts stashed again…" The clock made a choking noise before whipping to face the candelabra, "You _can't_ be _serious!_ You…I…GAH!" The smith was completely lost, but the fire was warm and the chair comfortable. If this was a dream it was a fairly pleasant one in spite of the oddity of the talking fixtures.

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The candelabra soon bounced over with a bound manuscript on paper yellowed with age, "Here you are. This is one of my personal favorites." Charon accepted the manuscript warily and looked at the title page. "Let's see now… 'Wishmaster', eh…," the smith murmured before opening the manuscript to its first page. He was soon sucked into the tale unfolding on the pages; it was easily one of the most gripping things he'd ever read. It was basically a coming of age story with a magical theme. He barely noticed when a tea cart eased its way through the door and came to rest beside the chair he was resting in. At least until he heard a woman clear her throat, "Ahem."

Charon blinked and looked up, "Oh, I'm sorry. This story is just so engaging that…" He trailed off as he realized he was talking to a teapot with a woman's portrait painted on the side. "It's quite all right," the woman's portrait replied with a smile, "His lordship always had a gift for story-telling, but has fallen out of the habit recently. It's a pity. His stories were quite good and always managed to have happy endings. He prided himself on it, in fact." "I really must be dreaming," the smith moaned. "I assure you, you are not," the teapot replied primly, "We are quite real. My name is Raetsel by the way." Charon stared as the teapot leaned over and poured tea into a small teacup with green swirls around the top, "This is real?" "Correct," Raetsel responded, "Here. Drink your tea. It'll make you feel better." The smith took the teacup and managed a few sips before the reality of the situation slammed into him. He was in a castle inhabited by talking furniture and utensils. He'd always thought there was a grain of truth to all stories, but this was pushing his limits.

"Are you okay-zura," a child's voice asked him curiously. "I'm…having a hard time grasping that this is actually happening," he admitted before he blinked and frowned, "Who said that?" "I did-zura," the cup in his hand twitched. Charon gaped at the cup in his hand as a pair of large blue eyes opened and seemed to smile at him, "I'm Uzura! You're hands feel funny-zura!" "Uzura," the teapot scolded, "Don't be rude to our guest. Please forgive her, sir. Uzura is only five and hasn't quite grasped that there are some things you just don't say to people." The smith sighed and set the teacup down, "I don't think I can take any more surprises…" He brought his hand up to rub his face as he struggled to reconcile what he was experiencing with his view of reality. It wasn't going so well. Unfortunately, he would have one last surprise that night…and it would be an unpleasant one. The door to the parlor suddenly opened and he heard a sniffing noise followed by a low hiss that sent a thrill of fear shooting down his spine. "Ooh," Uzura murmured as she hid behind Raetsel, "Scary-zura."

"Why," a menacing baritone voice snarled, "is there a stranger in my chair." The candelabra flinched, "Um… You see…it's like this…" Charon heard a rustling noise followed by a steady clicking that slowly drew closer. The clock scuttled over and bowed low, "My lord, please forgive me for failing to stop this. I tried, but no one ever _listens_ to me." "Shut up," the voice growled in annoyance. The smith swallowed hard as the clicking stopped next to him and he slowly turned to look. The figure was partially in shadow, but he could just make out that it looked vaguely reptilian. Razor sharp talons clenched and unclenched as green-eyes glared viciously down at him. "What," the figure hissed, "Do you think you are doing here?" "I…I…I lost my horse," Charon stammered uneasily, "and there were wolves and a storm… I saw a light…" "And you think that gives you the right to just barge in here and make yourself at home," the figure's eyes narrowed menacingly before they focused on the manuscript in his lap.

A venomous growl rumbled from the figure's throat as a taloned hand swiped at the smith; the man barely scrambled out of the way and the manuscript fell limply to the floor. He backed away from the shadowed figure as it stalked towards him menacingly. "Explain yourself," the figure snarled, "Now." "Please, I tried knocking, but no one came to the door," Charon tried to explain, "I just needed a place to stay for the night. I'll be gone in the morning. I promise!" Faster than the smith could react, the figure darted forwards and pulled him into the air by the collar of his shirt. The man gasped and clung to the figure's wrist to pull himself up. He couldn't tear his eyes away from that slitted green gaze. "A place to stay," the figure repeated slowly, and the smith swore he saw light glint off of gleaming fangs for a moment, before it snorted, "Sure. I'll give you a place to stay…but you _won't_ be leaving any time soon."

Charon started to struggle as the figure stalked towards the door without releasing his grip. "Please," the man pleaded, "have mercy!" The figure paused for a second at that, and for the first time the smith saw a faint profile of his captor. The face looked human enough, but it was wreathed by a thick mane of hair with two horns jutting out from above its large, pointed, frilled ears. "Mercy," the figure whispered before shaking its head, "Hmph." The figure continued out of the room and dragged him up the stairs at the far end of the main hall. Charon never stopped struggling, but to no avail; the figure's grip was like iron.

With its free hand the figure opened a door on the second floor and entered a narrow stone stairwell that led upwards in a tight spiral. "Please," the smith pleaded a second time, "Let me go! My daughter will worry about me! I'm the only family she has! Please!" The figure froze and stared at him intently for a few moments. Several emotions flickered across its face faster than the man could identify them before settling back on an annoyed scowl. "You'd best hope she stays away, then," it hissed before continuing once more. Charon had no idea how far up they'd gone before they arrived in a chilly stone dungeon in a high tower. The figure stalked over to one of the cells, opened it, and roughly tossed the smith onto the floor inside before slamming the door shut and locking it. The sandy-haired man tried one final time to beg for his freedom, "Please, don't do this! Let me go! I'm begging you."

The figure paused in his trek back to the stairs and half turned back before he asked in an oddly quiet voice, "Your daughter… Do you think she'd even be able to find this place?" "Why do you want to know," Charon replied uneasily. The figure gave a humorless chuckle, "Why indeed… Honestly? It's because she's probably my only hope at this point." The smith gaped, "What?!" The figure didn't respond further and disappeared down the stairs. The sandy-haired man groaned in dismay and settled back against the cell wall. He didn't know what he was going to do now, but he was unnerved by the figure's sudden interest in his daughter. He desperately hoped she wouldn't come looking for him. He didn't want anything to happen to her!

 **A/N:** Well, that turned out interesting. Letting my characters write their own interactions really works. I included a little of Charon and Ahiru's backstory as to how they ended up a family. Nothing too detailed, but just enough to make things clear. Some of you are probably wondering what make her family's wagon crash into that pond. Honestly, I hadn't entirely worked that bit out. It doesn't really matter for the story's sake. Maybe the horses pulling it spooked and snapped their harnesses causing the wagon to careen out of control. Maybe some other vital part broke and caused it to crash. Maybe something else happened. In this case, I am letting you devise your own scenarios. Have fun with that. On another note, I'd like to state that I am well aware that wolves normally don't attack people unless they are sick or starving. Assume that game in the area around Goldkrone Castle is extremely scarce and these wolves are nearly out of their minds with hunger. Any predator that is hungry enough will go after prey it normally wouldn't consider. Wolves are no exception. I got the name Fafnir from the dwarf-turned-dragon in Wagner's _Ring of the Nibelung_ opera. Technically an antagonist for the hero Siegfried, but I just like the sound of the name. I could have called him Gunter, who is also a character from the same opera, but I watch Adventure Time. I cannot see that name without thinking of that bloody penguin. So the horse's name is Fafnir. Finally, I'm sure some of you are also wondering how Beast!Fakir was able to hold Charon off of the ground considering they are close to the same height in the series. When he transformed, he gained another foot in height. Also, he's only 15 in the anime whereas in this fic he's 25. Assuming he has yet to stop growing there is no reason he wouldn't add another couple of inches by then. Fakir is easily the tallest of the four protagonists. I know. I've done comparisons just by looking at him standing next to the other characters. Jealous… Hate being short… Finally, regarding the story Charon read. It's based on a particular song by the band Nightwish of the same name. Why did I do this? I realized a while ago as I was listening to it…that I could easily turn the song into a story. This is true of many of the songs I like, by the way. If you're curious you can go look up the lyrics on line. I won't be including them here because I doubt the site rules allow things like that. It's a good song, though. Now I want to listen to it again… Doing that. **Present day edit: Next chapter will be delayed by a week because my laptop is being fixed. The fan was missing blades and needed to be replaced before the bloody thing fried itself. The part takes a week to ship and that is why the delay is a thing. It was supposed to only take an hour... So yeah. That happened. Sorry.**


	4. Take Me Instead

**A/N:** This chapter…is fun. It just is. Also I'm going to try and get to Ahiru making it to the castle in this chapter, so there's that to look forward to. Plus we're going to get to the name I'm going to be calling Fakir in Beast mode for up until the end of the climax! I'm not just calling him Fakir, after all. I have Google Translate pulled up on my web browser as I write. It gives me ideas… Also, that's how I got the town name. I don't speak German…so Google Translate. Those of you who do speak German…eh…sorry if I mangle the language. I'm doing the best I can here. Well then, let's get started. **Present day edit: Sorry this chapter is a week late. The fan on my computer was acting up. Turned out to be missing two blades which made it less effective. Had to take laptop in to be fixed and end result was I couldn't work on this chapter until I got it back last Tuesday. By the time I finished editing it was Friday. Didn't seem to be much point doing an update then when the next** _ **scheduled**_ **update was only a few days away. So yeah. That happened.**

 **Disclaimer:** You know, I think I'm going to start doing that copy/paste thing again. Coming up with new disclaimers each chapter is annoying. I do not, have not, and will never own any of the things I am using for this fic. This includes Princess Tutu and Beauty and the Beast (either version) which belong to their respective owners.

Chapter 3: Take Me Instead…

Femio frowned as he took in the wedding arch's positon in the field. "I don't know," he murmured, "It's still not quite right. Perhaps a little more to the left." The two villagers standing by the arch sighed and lifted it to comply with the young man's request. The only reason they were even helping out was because he'd offered to pay them an obscene amount of money to help set up, and later attend, his wedding to Ahiru. Privately, they were all expecting him to be shot down brutally; in fact, they were considering his inevitable failure to be a perk to showing up. Pretty much the only one in town who didn't get that the red-head didn't like him was the violet-brown haired man himself. Everyone else had figured it out years ago.

Lilie flounced up to the flamboyant young man and leaned on his shoulder as she looked at the wedding arch. "Ah, it's so lovely," she sighed. "Isn't it just," Femio replied proudly, "Just imagine how it will look with Ahiru and I standing beneath it and vowing to spend the rest of our lives together." Lilie was imagining something all right. She was imagining the look of utter dejection on her cousin's face when Ahiru turned him down. She imagined him bursting into dramatic tears and fleeing in shame…dramatically! She imagined him tripping into the wedding arch, staggering to his feet, and continuing to flee as he covered his face. She let out a delighted giggle which her cousin completely misinterpreted. "Ah," he sighed blissfully, "This day is going to be just…perfect." The villagers helping set up the wedding alternately sighed or rolled their eyes in disbelief. The man was lucky he was rich.

Finally everything was arranged to Femio's satisfaction and he addressed the gathered villagers, "All right now! Places, mes amies, places! Lilie, I want you serving as the maid-of-honor so you stand…here." The young man pointed to a spot just to the left of the wedding arch, and Lilie skipped over. This position would give her the _best_ view of the oncoming rejection! She was just about dying with anticipation. "Ferdinand, you are going to be my best man, so you stand opposite of Lilie," the flamboyant young man directed an auburn haired man. Ferdinand rolled his eyes, but took his position while muttering, "You're paying me extra for this. You realize that, right?" "Of course," Femio nodded indulgently, "Selda, Raina, Wanda! You all are bridesmaids so I want you standing by at the foot of the isle!"

The three young women shook their heads tolerantly, and did as he asked. They all thought he was funny in a sad sort of way and felt bad for him. That was the whole reason they were helping out. "Eginhard, as the priest I want you standing directly under the arch," Femio directed the elderly clergyman who sighed indulgently and followed through. The flamboyant young man continued positioning villagers around the field until everyone was in place. He then straightened his suit, smoothed back his hair, grabbed his pet bull – Capulet – and made his way up to the front door of the smithery. The villagers all craned their heads around to watch him go. They weren't about to miss what was likely to be the most epic failure in village history for _anything_. This was going to be something to tell the grandkids.

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Meanwhile, Ahiru was chatting with Pike over tea. "I wonder if Papa's sold anything yet,' the red-head wondered idly. "Probably," her friend replied, "I know my parents were planning on stopping by the fair to see what he had for sale on their way back home." "I didn't know your parents liked armor and weapons," the blue-eyed young woman blinked. "They do if it's pretty to look at," the magenta-haired girl stated flatly, "My mother's a big believer in armor as art, and my father's the same way with swords." "Well, they're sure to find something that suits them," Ahiru grinned, "Papa likes to make ornamental pieces that are also functional. He considers it a challenge." "Now that is impressive," Pike shook her head in wonder, "I'm amazed he hasn't been snatched up by some noble by now. There are probably more than a few of them who'd _kill_ to have someone on call who was capable of such a thing."

The red-head shrugged to show she had no idea either and was about to respond when a knock came at the door. "Now who could that be," Ahiru wondered, "Everyone knows Papa's away at the fair this time of year." Her violet-eyed friend nodded and continued sipping her tea as the other young woman moved to see who was at the door. She slid open the viewing slot, and suddenly let out a startled "QUACK!" Pike jumped and turned to watch as her friend immediately started shoving side tables, bookcases, chairs, and other heavy pieces of furniture in front of the door. "What on earth are you doing, Ahiru," the magenta-haired young woman wondered. "Femio's out there," the blue-eyed young woman quavered, "Can't let him get in!"

Her attempts to barricade the door were for naught, however, as with a cry of "Ole!" the door and pile of furniture were broken through by a charging bull. Femio swung down from the bull's back and started to approach the increasingly freaked out young woman with a broad smile on his face. "My dea-," he started to say before he was pegged in the forehead by a book. Ahiru shrieked and started throwing anything else she could get her hands on at the flamboyant young man; Pike had to stifle a laugh as she watched him falter. The bull, for its part, simply turned and ambled back out the door. There was nothing to eat in here, and the loud creature was annoying. There was no point to sticking around.

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The villagers looked on in amusement as all sorts of random household objects flew out of the front door. Ornaments, small pieces of furniture, crockery, shoes, and other such items rained down on the lawn like a storm. Soon Femio staggered backwards out the door under the hail of objects, turned, and started to flee blindly from the onslaught. "Stay AWAY," a terrified female voice shrieked. The villagers continued to watch as the flamboyant young man's path veered towards the hog wallow right on the borders of the neighboring farm; they could see where this was going. Sure enough, the violet-brown haired young man tripped and fell into the muddy water with a mighty _splat_. The hail of objects stopped and, as they watched, the doorway was slowly blocked off by wooden planks.

Lilie trotted over to where her favorite cousin/living toy was still lying face down in the mud. "Femio, dear," she asked as she leaned over, "Have you died tragically of heartbreak already?" Femio pulled his face out of the mud and gave his distant cousin a mournful look, "She… _rejected_ me… How…? I don't understand…" "Let's get you out of that mud and all cleaned up first," the sadistic blonde chirped as she reached out a hand to help him up, "And then you can tell dear Lilie all about your tragically broken heart." The villagers watched passively as she helped the stunned young man up and led him back towards town. Each of them privately swore that they were never going to forget this day for as long as they lived. It was all they could have hoped for and more! One of the more thoughtful villagers moved off to collect Capulet before he wandered off too far, while the rest sighed and set about taking down the wedding set up. There was no point in leaving it up after all.

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Pike walked over to where her friend was frantically nailing boards to the doorway to block it off. "I think you can stop now, Ahiru," she commented dryly, "I doubt he's coming back any time soon. His ego took a pretty big hit and he's going to need some time to recover." Ahiru slowly lowered he hammer in her hands, spun around, and hugged her friend tightly, "I was so _scared_!" The magenta haired girl sighed, patted her friend on the shoulder sympathetically, and murmured, "There, there. The crazy man is gone. You're safe now." "You're teasing me," the red-head grumbled from where her face was buried in her taller friend's shoulder. "Well, you are being a bit silly," Pike pointed out, "And you did over-react pretty badly, though I can't say I blame you. What was he thinking riding a bull through the door like that?" The blue-eyed young woman pulled back and looked puzzled, "That was really strange, now that you mention it. Where did he even _get_ a bull?" "I think it's actually his pet," the violet eyed girl considered, "I think he calls him Caput or something."

"Femio has a pet bull," Ahiru gaped, "What?" "You feeling better now," her friend asked noticing that the shorter young woman seemed a lot calmer, if a bit confused, now. "Yeah," the red-head replied dazedly. Pike extracted herself from her friend's grip and inspected the damage to the house a bit more closely. The front door was completely totaled and a lot of furniture had been reduced to broken splinters. She winced as she thought about how much that was going to cost to replace, and with winter only a few months away on top of that. Idly she glanced out the window and froze as she caught sight of the field across from the house. "Um, Ahiru," she said in a strangled tone, "I think I know what he wanted…" "What," the blue-eyed young woman asked innocently. The magenta-haired girl didn't respond verbally only pointed out the window with a stunned look on her face. Ahiru walked over, looked out, and froze as well; she'd spotted the wedding arch.

"I think he was about to ask for your hand in marriage," Pike gaped in disbelief. Ahiru looked ill and more than slightly horrified, " _Me_? Married to him?!" "I take what I said earlier back," the magenta-haired young woman winced as she looked over at her friend, "If anything you _under_ -reacted." "Me? _Married_ tohim," the red-head repeated in a horrified daze. "I wonder if I should maybe have a 'chat' with his parents," the violet-eyed girl mused as a dark look flickered across her face. Like _hell_ was she letting that nut job wed her best friend! She deserved better! "Me? Married to _him_ ," the stunned young woman repeated a third time. "You okay, Ahiru," Pike asked worriedly. "I think my brain broke," the blue-eyed young woman moaned, "I know he's delusional and all, but…marriage?! I just… No. I can't comprehend it." "You and me both," her friend sighed. "What am I going to do," Ahiru fretted, "I don't want to marry Femio! I don't love him!"

"I hate to break it to you," the violet eyed young woman sighed, "But in certain circles love doesn't matter. Both my family and Femio's belong to that class of people. I can't even begin to tell you how many suitors I've turned down since I turned 16." "But that's terrible," the red-head gaped, "How is a marriage supposed to be happy if you don't love each other?" Pike shrugged, "Sometimes the couple gets lucky and come to love each other over time. Like my parents did. Others…the marriage is more of a business deal than anything. Both parties tolerate each other and fulfil their end of the arrangement, but don't really like each other. But happiness isn't the point. Advancing social station and forging alliances between families is the point. It's a power play."

Ahiru looked absolutely horrified which prompted her friend to continue, "Not that I think you'll ever have to worry about that. Femio may have grown up in that environment, but for all his flaws he does seem to truly believe in love. He probably thought you returned his feelings. Being rejected like that may have been an even bigger blow than I initially thought. You should have at least a month before he recovers enough to even look at you again." The red-head gave her friend an uncertain look, "You're sure?" "Positive," Pike nodded, "You've got time to work out a permanent solution to this whole mess. I'll help out as much as I can." "Promise," pleading blue eyes met violet ones. "Promise," the taller young woman nodded firmly.

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Pike departed soon after to contact a carpenter to come out and fix the door to her friend's home. When Ahiru protested, claiming that her father and her couldn't afford to pay for a new door, the taller girl assured her that she would cover the cost…if she couldn't convince _Femio's_ parents to cover the cost. The magenta-haired young woman was _not happy_ with the adult Brinkerhoffs' stubborn refusal to rein in their son…and was determined to do something about it. Considering her family's influence trumped theirs…she had leverage to work with. Meanwhile, the red-head set about cleaning up the mess inside the house before moving on to collecting all the things she'd thrown at Femio in her panic.

She had just finished gathering up the last few items and had turned to head indoors when she heard the clatter of wagon wheels and a familiar, if desperate, whinny. "Fafnir," she wondered as she glanced over her shoulder. Her eyes widened as she took in the sorry state the poor horse was in. His body was streaked with sweat and mud and covered in scratches, twigs were tangled in his mane and tail, his sides were heaving as he panted for air, his eyes were so wide she could see the whites of his eyes, and he was visibly trembling from a mix of terror and exhaustion.

Fafnir had run almost the entire way back to the farm because it was the only place that was registering in his panicked equine mind as 'safe'. He'd only paused a few times catch his breath before resuming his flight. Ahiru let the load in her arms fall to the ground and ran over to soothe the distraught gelding. "Shh. Shhh. It's okay, boy. It's okay, you're safe," she cooed. The poor horse shuddered and leaned into her arms. He was beyond exhausted, but he'd made it home. His human herd-mate was right…he was safe…but his herd-master wasn't. That was part of the reason he'd run so hard. He'd been too scared to realize his herd-master wasn't on the wagon anymore, and once he did there was no way he was going back. There were _predators_ there. The horse whickered softly and tugged on the young woman's sleeve. She needed to go and get the rest of his herd! Now!

For her part, Ahiru was worried that Fafnir had returned alone and in such sorry condition. Where was her father? What had happened to him? Was he all right? However, she was far too compassionate to leave the distressed gelding unattended. She released his head once he'd calmed, and moved to unfasten his harness when she felt him tug her sleeve. "I know," she replied, "Papa's missing and we need to go look for him. But you won't make it far unless you rest a bit. You'll only hurt yourself, and I need your help if I'm going to find him. Besides, I need to pack before we go anywhere. Now hold still." The horse had no idea what she'd said, but waited for her to finish removing his harness before she lead him back to his stall. He could recover a bit there while she prepared to leave. The second the gelding was settled, rubbed down, fed, and watered Ahiru headed to put the wagon away. She had a lot to do before she was ready to leave, and the sooner she got started the sooner she could go looking for her father.

Fortunately, all she had to do was push it under the shelter out behind the actual forge and make sure the cover was securely tied down. Still, she was a petite young woman, and the wagon was heavy. It took her a while, and she had to stop and catch her breath before heading indoors to pack. Now it was on to the next stage of her preparations. First, she dug out a travel pack and checked to be sure it was free of holes. Next, she packed a change of clothes and her winter clothing…just in case. She went into the kitchen, grabbed a loaf of bread, a piece of cheese wrapped in cheesecloth, and some cured ham and packed it away. She grabbed a canteen and filled it with water from the pump out back and added that to her pack. She grabbed her winter cloak and packed it as well. She grabbed a compass, a map, hesitated for a moment or two, and decided those were the only navigational tools she'd need. She grabbed a few bandages just in case she needed them, and paused to think if she needed anything else.

Ahiru finally decided she had everything she needed and shut the pack. Then she grabbed a sheet of paper, a pen, and ink pot and wrote out a quick note to Pike letting her know that her father was missing and that she was going to look for him. She chewed her lip for a few seconds as she debated where to leave it, and decided to place it on the parlor table. Just to make sure it didn't blow away, the red-head placed a rock on top. Finally, she grabbed her normal cloak, threw it about her shoulders, slung the pack on, and headed out the door. She was ready to find her father. She paused to make sure everything was locked up, and headed for the stable. With a determined look on her face, the blue-eyed young woman grabbed the tack to saddle up Fafnir, pulled the puzzled gelding out of his stall, saddled him up, swung onto his back, and headed out. 'I'm coming, Papa,' she thought, 'Please be safe…'

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Fafnir had a much easier time retracing his steps without lugging the wagon behind him, but Ahiru still stopped to rest him every so often. While she wanted to find her father, she didn't want the loyal gelding to founder in the process. She was forced to stop for the night before she reached the mountains at a farmhouse. Fortunately, once she explained the situation, the old couple living there were more than willing to let her stay the night. She set out early in the morning and was able to travel much faster as her horse had fully recovered from his flight the day before. Swiftly, Fafnir carried her through the mountains until they finally arrived at the broad mountain road where horse and man parted ways. Unsurprisingly, he wasn't there. Ahiru figured their best bet for finding him was to continue on down the road, and guided the horse onwards. Most likely her father had traveled onwards too seek out shelter for the night. Hopefully, she'd run into him.

Their pace was somewhat slower as the footing was uncertain and the way unfamiliar to both. Yet they still made it to the end of the road shortly before sunset; a towering wall of dark stone set with ornate, wrought-iron gates loomed before them and beyond she could see the last light of day illuminating the ghostly pale stone of the distant castle. It stood proudly on its isolated red stone spire as towering storm clouds raced down from the distant mountains beyond. It was an ominous view. The red-head could only assume her father had sought refuge here, yet the sight of the bone-white castle across the gorge with threatening clouds billowing behind it…it sent a chill down her spine. Ahiru dismounted, steeled her nerve, and opened the gates. Loyal Fafnir followed closely behind, and together they crossed the bridge. The long expanse terminated in a broad, semi-circular court of honor flanked by two long low red stone buildings. The courtyard ran right up to the castle's towering outer walls with a broad staircase leading up to the actual doors to the structure that loomed beyond. The gelding paused at the bottom of the steps as his human herd-mate continued up to the doors. She hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath to steady her nerves…and opened the door.

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"You are an absolute moron," Autor hissed at Mytho, "You know how territorial the master is! And how much he hates having people read his stories these days! What could have possibly made you think that was a good idea?!" The candelabra sighed, "I figured his lordship would remain in his quarters for the night like he usually does and that he wouldn't even notice. I was just trying to be a good host for the poor man." "Well, now he's locked up in the tower," the clock bit out mockingly, "Because _you_ 'tried to be a good host'." "It's been two days," the golden-eyed light source sighed, "You aren't going to let this go are you." The irate timepiece scowled, "No. Now _I_ have to come up with a way to convince the master to release the poor soul before he freezes to death." Mytho blinked in shock, "You think you can get him to change his mind?" Autor sighed in resignation, "Honestly, I am not sure…but I have to try. My conscience would not let me rest otherwise." "Nor would mine," the candelabra frowned, "Let me help you. Between the two of us we may be able to come up with something." "No," the blue-eyed clock snapped, "I'm not risking you screwing up again."

The two transformed servants continued to bicker fiercely…never noticing the door to the main hall on the floor below them slowly creaking open. Yet one pair of eyes did. "Oooh," Uzura cooed, "Who's that-zura?" The little teacup watched curiously as a petite young woman in a pale blue peasant's dress with pale red hair pulled back in a braided bun and bright blue eyes nervously stepped across the threshold and looked around. "Hello," she called quietly, "Is anyone home? I'm sorry to intrude but I'm looking for my father. Papa? Are you here, Papa? Answer me if you are…" The enchanted cup watched her walk towards the stairs at the end of the hall before turning and bouncing away. She had to tell Auntie Raetsel! There was a girl in the castle!

Raetsel sighed as she looked up at the cooking range her husband had turned into. "His lordship still isn't willing to let that poor man go," she admitted, "I keep trying to appeal to his better nature, but he's refusing to be moved. It's like his heart has frozen over entirely!" "You'll get through to him eventually," her husband consoled her, "His lordship is not a cruel man. He'll do the right thing in the end." "But what if it's too late by then," the teapot worried, "It's so cold up in the tower, Hans, and his clothes were still so damp when his lordship took him away. He's sure to catch a chill. He could die!" "Just trust the master," Hans soothed, "You always believed in him before. Don't give up on him now when he needs our support more than ever." "Our time is almost up," the enchanted piece of crockery whispered sadly, "I suppose that would explain why his behavior has taken such a drastic turn for the worse these past few months. He must feel as though there's no hope left for him… Oh, Hans, I wish we could do more!"

"Auntie Raetsel-zura! Auntie-zura! Where are you-zura," Uzura hopped into the kitchen before spotting her Aunt, "Auntie, Auntie, guess what I saw-zura?" Raetsel sighed, "Now is not the time, Uzura. Besides, shouldn't you be in the sink taking your bath with your siblings?" "But I saw her-zura," the teacup squealed eagerly, "I did-zura!" "What are you even talking about," the teapot asked in confusion. "There's a girl in the castle-zura," the blue-eyed cup chirped. "Is this another of your wild tales," the woman's face frowned, "This is hardly the time, Uzura, nor is it the least bit amusing." "I saw her-zura," Uzura insisted, "She's pretty-zura!" "That's enough," the enchanted pot scolded. "Raetsel," a female voice called, "You won't believe what I just saw!" Raetsel looked up as a mahogany feather duster with black feathers drifted through the door, "Miss Rue? What is it?" "I just saw a young woman on the stairs to the second floor," Rue said breathlessly, "Raetsel…we may have a chance after all!" "I told you-zura," the teacup beamed, "I told you I saw a girl-zura!"

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Back on the second floor landing, Autor and Mytho's argument had devolved to them both giving each other the silent treatment. They were facing away from each other and glaring off into the distance. "Arrogant stuffed shirt," the candelabra muttered bitterly. "Flighty screw up," the clock groused. They both whirled to yell at each other some more when the enchanted candlestick froze and stared with a look of shock on his face, "I don't believe it." "What now," the timepiece grumbled. The three pronged light fixture only reached out and turned his companion around to look behind him. The blue-eyed time-keeper was about to yell when he saw her. Ahiru had reached the top of the stairs and was looking around uncertainly. "Papa," she called again, "Are you there, Papa? Please answer me!" "A girl," Mytho breathed in disbelief, "Could she be real?" "Does it matter," Autor hissed back, "Don't move an inch! We can't risk scaring her off!" Both ornaments froze and pretended to be normal as the young woman turned towards them and started walking down the hall while looking around warily. "Papa," she called again quietly, "Papa?"

Once she passed the pair relaxed and looked at each other seriously. "She may be the one we've been waiting for," the candelabra rubbed his metal chin. The clock nodded back solemnly, "The one to free us from this curse." "Could she be the smith's daughter," the three-pronged candlestick wondered. "Most likely," the time piece replied, "We can kill two birds with one stone. Come on!" "Right behind you," Mytho nodded firmly. The two jumped down from the table they were perched on and made their way down the hall as fast as they could. Both were grateful that the young woman they were tailing was moving so slowly as they were just able to catch up right as she passed by the door to the dungeon tower. With a shared nod, they pushed the door as hard as they could and, with a squeal of the hinges, it swung open. Ahiru whirled at the sound of the opening door, but saw no one for the two ornaments had already dashed through. "Hello," she quavered warily, "Is someone there?" The nervous red-head swallowed hard, but made her way through the door regardless. No matter how scared she might be, she had to find her father.

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The figure who had imprisoned the smith was walking through the halls, lost in thought. He was feeling a bit torn about keeping the man locked in his tower now that his temper had finally cooled. Raetsel had not been entirely correct in thinking that it was purely despair that made him unwilling to listen. Whenever his temper was triggered there was just no reasoning with him. She'd no idea he had still been angry while she'd been trying to speak with him, though, because it had been a cold fury that gripped him. Yet now it had finally faded and he could actually think objectively about the events that had taken place two days ago. The truth was, there was no way the man could have known that the figure hated it when people touched his things; let alone read his old stories. "It was probably Mytho's fault," he sighed in annoyance, "Maybe I should lock _him_ up one of these days. Perhaps Raetsel is right… I should let him go free, but…he mentioned a daughter. If she does show up…"

The figure trailed off as he noticed the door to the tower where the smith was imprisoned was open and frowned, 'What? I could have sworn it was shut when I came by earlier.' His frown turned into a scowl as he notice Autor slipping out and stalked over. "What," he growled, "Do you think _you're_ doing?" "Ah, master," the clock quavered, "Um… You see…um…" "Spit it out," the figure snarled. "Thesmith'sdaughterishereandwe'rehopingshecanbreakthespell," Autor blurted rapidly. The figure paused as he deciphered the flood of words into a form that made sense and his eyes widened in disbelief the moment he finished. "She's here," he breathed as he felt a spark of hope flicker to life, "Truly…?" The blue-eyed time-piece nodded rapidly. The figure stared at the door blankly for a few moments before rushing forwards. 'Please,' he prayed desperately as he quietly slipped up the stairs, 'Please let this be real…' Soon he reached the top and froze for a few moments as he finally beheld her diminutive form. A wry smirk crossed his face as he heard her express her intentions to save the man he'd imprisoned and couldn't resist making a sarcastic remark to alert them to his presence, "Somehow I seriously doubt that."

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Ahiru had seen no one when she walked through the door, but she did catch a glimpse of a light moving up the stairs. "Wait," she called as she hurried after the light, "Please wait! I'm looking for my father. Have you seen him?" When she caught up to the light, though, there was no one there; only a three pronged candelabra in an alcove. She frowned in confusion, but continued upwards. She was certain she had seen _someone_. The red-haired young woman was almost to the top of the stairs when she called out once more, "Is anyone there?" For the first time she got a response as a familiar voice called back in surprise, "Ahiru?!" "Papa," she cried as she rushed up the last few steps and caught sight of her father's dim form in a cell across the room, "Papa, I'm so glad you're safe!" "Ahiru," Charon's voice was hoarse, "What are you doing here?!" Ahiru hurried across the room, grabbed a convenient torch for light, and fell to her knees outside her father's cell, "When Fafnir came home without you I was so worried. I had to find you!"

"You shouldn't have come," the man rasped before he started coughing harshly. "Papa, you're sick," Ahiru fretted, "Hang on! I'll look for a key." Her father tried once more to warn his daughter, "Please you must get out of here! There's no time to explain why. Just leave before he comes!" "He," the red-head turned back to her father in confusion, "Who is this 'he'? The person who locked you up? Why do I need to leave?" "Please, Ahiru," Charon pleaded, "Just go and forget about me!" "No," she scowled stubbornly, "I'm going to save you." "Somehow I seriously doubt that," a strange male voice stated drily. The smith let out a despairing moan as his daughter quacked in surprise and dropped the torch which swiftly guttered out.

Their entire side of the room was cast in shadow with the only remaining light coming from the remaining torch on the far side. Yet both could hear the ominous clicking of talons on stone. "Who's there," Ahiru quavered nervously. "The lord of this castle," the male voice replied from the shadows as the clicking grew closer. The red head swallowed hard before she spoke again, "I…uh…I've come for my father. Please let him go!" "Why should I," in spite of the cold words the voice's tone was more curious than cruel. "He's sick," the young woman replied shakily, "He could die if he stays here." "And if I say 'no'," the voice asked again from nearby as the clicking stopped, "What would you do then?" "I don't…know," she admitted before she pleaded once more, "Please let my father go, sir."

The voice huffed in annoyance, "Don't call me that." The blue-eyed girl blinked in surprise, "What?" "Don't call me sir," the voice clarified. Ahiru was puzzled and started to ask, "Then what-" "Tier," the voice cut her off, "Call me Tier." The clicking came again and started moving towards the still-lit side of the room as the now named Tier spoke again, "I still haven't heard a good reason for me to let your father go. He trespassed in my castle without permission. A price must be paid for his crime." "Is there no way I can change your mind," the red-head begged as she cautiously walked in the direction the clicking had gone. "None," Tier's voice fired back harshly.

The young woman bit her lip in indecision before an idea came to her. She ran forwards into the lighted region and spoke her mind, "What if…I offered to take his place." The clicking stopped just at the edge of the lighted area and Tier's voice sounded disbelieving when he next spoke, "You would trade your freedom for his?" "Ahiru," her father cried out, "No! Don't do it!" "If I say yes," Ahiru replied in a tight voice, "Would you let him go?" Tier was silent for a few moments as though he were thinking it over before finally responding quietly, "I would…but you would never be able to leave this castle. You must promise to stay here with me…for as long as I desire." The blue-eyed girl clenched her fists and glared at the shadows fiercely, "I'm not making any promises to someone I can't see. Come into the light!"

Tier hesitated once more before a click came…followed slowly by another. A taloned foot crossed into the light followed closely by a second one. It was these talons that had caused the clicking. Ahiru's eyes swept up to take in lean digitigrade legs covered in dark green –nearly black – scales, a reptilian tail brushing gently across the floor, a loincloth wrapped around the figure's lean waist that hung down to his knees with a pouch tied to the cord holding it in place, a finely sculpted scaled torso, scaled arms covered in lean muscle, and hands at the ends with long talons just like the figure's feet. Her gaze continued upwards as she took in the thick dark green mane of hair that wreathed the disturbingly human face covered in fine scales, the two black horns that jutted out from that mane just above the figure's lightly pointed, frilled ears, the black feathered wings folded behind the figure's back, and the cool green eyes with slitted pupils that gazed down impassively into her own. The figure's mouth opened slightly in a sigh and she caught a glimpse of sharp white teeth that could easily be called fangs.

This was Tier, she realized, the being that had imprisoned her father and was willing to accept her freedom in exchange for his. "Do we have a deal or not," he asked impatiently as he folded his arms. Ahiru swallowed hard and held out her hand, "We do. You have my word I will not try to leave this castle." Tier gazed at her hand for a few moments, then reached out, gently grasped it in his oen, and gave it a single shake before he nodded, "I accept your word in good faith. Now it's time I fulfilled _my_ end of the bargain." He then released her hand and swiftly vanished back into shadow. The red-head fell to her knees in shock as her actions slowly sunk in. She was barely aware of the clink of keys, the click of a lock, and the creak of the cell door's opening.

The young woman did, however, manage to register her father falling to his knees beside her and grabbing her by the shoulders. "Ahiru no," Charon pleaded, "You don't have to do this. I'm an old man, and you still have your whole life ahead of you! Please!" Tier gave an annoyed sigh before he approached the frantic father and his shell-shocked daughter. "The deal has already been sealed," he stated flatly, "Along with her fate. Come." The smith glared up at the draconic humanoid in defiance causing the being to sigh again. "It seems we're doing this the hard way then," he muttered before reaching out, grabbing the man's collar, and slinging him easily over his shoulder. That snapped Ahiru out of her daze, "Please wait!" However, her new jailor had already turned and slipped back into the shadows.

He could see perfectly in the dark and had no trouble finding his way to the stairs. The dragon-like beast-man made his way briskly down the stairs as he did his best to block out the young woman's increasingly desperate cries. He knew if he stopped he wouldn't be able to go through with his plan and would end up releasing _both_ of them. If he was to have _any_ hope of freeing himself and his household he had to keep up his heartless façade…and not stop. He exited the prison tower and shut the door behind him with his free hand before continuing on to the castle doors. The old man was struggling desperately to get down, but Tier kept his grip firm. The smith wasn't going to get away that easily. Finally, he emerged from the castle and made his way to left building that flanked the semi-circular court of honor at the base of the stairs.

"Please no," Charon finally cried out, "Spare my daughter! Let her go free instead." "I made that deal for a reason," Tier stated firmly as he eyed the brown gelding shying away from him as he passed by, "She is no longer your concern from this day forward. You would do best to heed your own advice…and forget about her." He threw open the doors to the low stone building revealing two broken down carriages resting side by side. He rapped his knuckles lightly on the roof of the closer of the two causing the door to swing silently open. Swinging the struggling smith down from his shoulder, he shoved the man through the door and shut it firmly before snapping out a sharp command, "Take him back to his home in Grünefelder."

The dragon-like man stepped back as the carriage rocked on its cracked wheels, slowly rolled passed him, out the doors, and gradually gathered speed as it rattled erratically down the bridge. Tier idly noticed the brown gelding was now lingering near the stables across the courtyard before turning and re-entering the castle. The deal had been brokered, and the exchange had been made. Now all that remained was to work out what he was going to do now. For the first time in years, he had hope. A frail and desperate hope, but hope nonetheless; hope…to break free of the curse that bound him.

 **A/N:** So…much…PLOT… Wow, that advanced fast. So what did you think of the name I chose for Fakir as the Beast? The name isn't really all that imaginative. According to Google Translate 'Tier' is German for 'Beast'. As I said: not imaginative. I apologize if some characters seem a bit OOC. Sometimes bits of my own personality bleed through when I write. My approach can basically be summed up as a form of role-playing. I literally put myself in the mind-set of the character and write from that perspective. Considering how often I have to change roles, this means I can occasionally get my wires crossed. End result: Out of character characters. Why do I use this approach? Natural talent for mimicry. I'm kind of a chameleon. It seems to freak people out sometimes. On another note, how did my description of Tier's appearance come across? Could you see what he looked like? Did my words paint a clear picture? I was trying to be really descriptive. I want you to see him the way I do in my head, and I do not consider myself to be a good enough artist to render it in picture form. So I have to use words.


	5. Awk-ward

**A/N:** And now on to chapter four. This is where things really start to deviate from the movie; mostly because Fakir/Tier is a bit nicer than the Beast is…and because Ahiru is a lot more forgiving than Belle. I am not kidding. Ahiru is way too nice for her own good. RUE TRIED TO FREAKING KILL YOU! THAT IS NOT SOMETHING YOU SHOULD FORGIVE SO EASILY! Sometimes I really feel the need to yell at the characters when I watch the show…or tease them in the case of Fakir. Stop being adorable when you're freaked out dammit! What? He is! Right, I should start the chapter now, shouldn't I? Here we go.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not, have not, and will never own any of the things I am using for this fic. This includes Princess Tutu and Beauty and the Beast (either version) which belong to their respective owners.

Chapter 4: Awk-ward…

Tier slowly walked back up the stairs to the prison tower as he debated over what he was going to do next. 'I know what the conditions are to break the curse,' he dug one of his canines into his lip as he thought, 'But how _exactly_ do you go about falling in love with someone…or getting them to love you back? Dammit, what do I do now…?' "Uh…my lord," a soft male voice ventured warily. The dragon-like creature glanced sharply over at the alcove where his maitre'd was waving to catch his attention, "What, Mytho?" "So…about our new guest," Mytho watched his friend's face carefully as he spoke, "Keeping her locked up in the tower…might not be the best way to win her over. Since she's going to be staying for…er…a while, I was thinking perhaps she should be moved to more suitable quarters." "You think giving her a nice room will make her like me," Tier raised a brow ridge incredulously. "Well, it certainly couldn't hurt," the candelabra shrugged.

The beast-man sighed and acknowledged that his friend had a point; now that he thought about it…he had just the room in mind. "Thank you for the suggestion," he said softly, "It was helpful." "Anytime, my lord," Mytho grinned in relief; he preferred it when his best friend displayed his gentler side. The dragon-like man continued up the stairs and finally emerged back into the dungeon chamber. He found that the girl had abandoned her position on the floor and made her way into the open cell. His sharp hearing picked up her muffled sobs and he had to suppress the urge to wince as he felt a spike of guilt. Uncertain of what he would find, he walked slowly over to the cell door and paused just inside the frame. The dragon-like man felt his long-numbed heart clench slightly at the pathetic sight his red-haired prisoner presented. She was crumpled up under the window overlooking the courtyard below and sobbing brokenly into her hands. He hesitated, uncertain of how to deal with a crying girl, before he addressed her softly, "Miss…er…Ahiru?"

"You didn't let me say goodbye," Ahiru whimpered as she raised her tear-streaked face from her hands and looked over at her captor, "I'm never going to see my father again…and you just took him away? How could you…?" Tier visibly flinched at that and looked away causing her eyes to widen at his reaction. She thought he didn't care at all, but… Could she have been wrong? Was there more to the intimidating beast-man she knew? Her internal questions drew to a halt as he straightened back up and met her gaze. "Follow me," the scaled man said in an oddly gentle tone of voice, "I'll show you to your room." The red-head was confused, "My room? Huh? I thought…" "That I was going to make you stay in this tower," he finished dryly, "I'm not _that_ heartless."

Ahiru blinked in confusion. Was that supposed to be a joke or something? Tier walked over, knelt down, and reached a hand down to help the young woman up, "Come." The blue-eyed girl slowly reached out and took his taloned hand. While this was the second time he'd held his hand in hers, it was the first she'd actually paid attention to how it felt. His scales were smooth and slightly warm to the touch, his talons pricked her skin lightly in a way that felt more ticklish than anything, his grip soft as though she were a delicate thing he feared to break, and yet there was strength in his grasp as well. She marveled over the sensation as he helped her to her feet and led her back down the tower, never once letting go of her hand.

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Beast-man and maiden walked together through shadowed halls, their way lit solely by the candelabra held in the taller being's taloned hand. Ahiru looked around in mixed wonder and fear at the artwork decorating the walls. Unlike the main hall, the rest of the castle's halls were richly decorated…yet there was a grimness to the décor. Gargoyles leered down from overhead, the tapestries hanging from the walls – though faded and torn – depicted countess battles that ended in either victory…or defeat, suits of armor covered in dents and gouges – mementos of battles long past –loomed out of the shadows, tattered curtains hung down between chipped and scarred pillars of stone, statues of terrifying monsters glowered down from their alcoves, and the colors were all muted by a pall of dust and grime. It all spoke of terrible neglect, and decay over many years.

Ahiru shuddered and, quite without thinking, latched on to her captor's arm for comfort. Tier looked down at her in surprise at this action, but said nothing. As she clung to the tall, scaled being's arm, the red-head started to cry again. She was scared: scared of never seeing her father again, scared of how Pike would react to her failure to return, scared of the castle's décor, and scared of what was going to become of her. She was also sad because she missed her father and Pike already. The dragon-like man noticed her silent tears and felt another twinge of guilt stab through him. This…was not turning out quite as well as he'd hoped, but he really only had himself to blame for that. Mytho, from his position in his master's hand, had to roll his eyes in exasperation. He knew his lord was not the best at dealing with people, but this was not the time for him to be paralyzed by his socially-awkward tendencies! The candelabra hissed quietly, "Say something to comfort her." The beast-man blinked and murmured, "Huh? Oh…right…"

Tier cleared his throat and glanced back down at the young woman clinging to his arm, "I…er…I hope you aren't too put off by the decor. I'm…not all that fond of it myself, but…I never quite got around to changing it." Ahiru remained silent as she walked and the dragon-like man wasn't sure how to continue. Mytho mimed that his lord should try to be hospitable, and the scaled being tried again. "This castle is your home now as much as it is mine," he told her quietly, "You are free to go wherever you wish within the castle grounds and the castle itself…with the exception of the North Wing." The red-head looked up curiously at that, "Why? What's in the North Wing?" "That doesn't matter," the taller being said firmly, "Just know that it is off limits."

The blue-eyed young woman was still curious, but nodded to show that she understood. Tier sighed before he continued in a gentle tone, "I really do want you to find some contentment in your stay here. It is not my intent that you should suffer." Ahiru stared up at him in surprise. This was the second time he'd shown hints of kindness to her, and she honestly was uncertain as to how to respond. He had taken her away from her father and forbidden her from ever seeing him again. Yet at the same time he was going out of his way to be somewhat nice to her. It was confusing. Just what kind of man _was_ her captor? She couldn't figure him out…

Soon they arrived at the room Tier intended to offer his captive; it had once belonged to his mother, and was one of the few unused rooms that he insisted upon keeping pristine purely to honor her memory. He gently extracted his arm from the girl's grip and carefully opened the door. 'Talons make everything much more complicated than it needs to be,' he grumbled to himself. Ahiru peered into the room and was caught off guard by how it looked; compared to the rest of the castle it was meticulously maintained and showed no sign of wear or tear. "I hope this room suits your needs," the beast-man offered gently as he stepped back to allow her to pass. "It's so…big," the red-head marveled in spite of her fear and sorrow. "This _is_ a castle," her captor pointed out dryly. The young woman walked through the door and looked around curiously as she rubbed at her eyes; crying made her eyes ache.

There was a large four-posted bed with sheer white curtains tied to the posts that could be pulled shut if she so chose. The quilt was so heavily covered in gold brocade that you could barely make out the pearly white silk beneath. The pillows were covered in white silk pillowcases with gold stitching at the corners that matched the quilt nicely. Next to the bed was a stained pine wood wardrobe with a pale yellow trim around the doors. A carving of a sleeping curly haired young woman's head was centered over the doors. The floor was covered by a massive pale rose pink and gold rug that only revealed the laminated birch wood boards that lay beneath at the edges of the room.

A large arched window frame occupied much of the far wall. The window itself was split between the clear glass panels that formed the bulk of the window and a stained glass scene of a sunrise set in the arch above them. It was framed by paired pale rose pink velvet curtains and translucent white silk curtains tied back with gold cords. The walls were painted white with gold painted cove molding around the juncture between walls and ceiling and gold painted cable molding running down from each of the junctures between walls. The ceiling was coffered with dark stained oaken beams bracing the white plasterwork above. The whole room had a warm, welcoming feel compared to the rest of the castle.

"If you need anything more," Tier told her from the door in an oddly tender tone, "My servants will attend to it. You need only call upon them." Mytho huffed in annoyance and hissed into his lord's ear, "Invite her to dinner already!" The draconic humanoid froze and swallowed hard – not that Ahiru noticed – at that suggestion. That…was a bit more than he felt he could handle at this point. Still, he may as well make the attempt. "I would appreciate it if you would join me for dinner this evening," he forced out quickly before he started to shut the door. He then paused and murmured quietly, "I'm…sorry…for making you cry…" Finally, he shut the door and walked away with a nervous frown on his face. Ahiru gaped after him, both for the sudden invitation and the apology. She felt tears welling up in her eyes again and stumbled over to the bed before sitting heavily. She stared blankly at the wall as she started to cry once more. The red-head was completely over-whelmed by her situation. Why was her captor…suddenly acting so _nice_?!

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The dragon-like man slumped forward and sighed heavily as he sat in his favorite chair and stared into the flames of the fireplace. The first winter storm of the season had hit with a vengeance, and he'd barely managed to coax Ahiru's horse into the stables before then. The animal clearly didn't trust him, but the second the temperature started dropping the appeal of a nice warm stall indoors was too much to resist. Removing it's tack had been another thing entirely… Between his talons and the gelding's clear anxiety at his presence he finally gave up and decided to hope the transformed stable-hands could find some way to manage.

Part of him was wondering why he bothered trying to make sure the animal survived, let alone ensure its comfort, but then he reminded himself that the horse was the only thing the young woman had left from her life before coming to his castle. If it froze to death in the storm she would be sad, and there was a very good chance she'd hate him for the rest of his life. 'Not that this would be a very _long_ span of time,' Tier thought morosely, 'And that's only if she doesn't hate me already. I did just take her away from everyone and everything she knew…' "Am I being selfish," he whispered brokenly, "For taking away her freedom…just so I can have some hope?" He tilted his head back and closed his eyes before sighing again.

"I'm only deluding myself," he said bitterly as he opened his eyes and stared down at his taloned hand, "She could never feel anything more for me than hatred and disgust… I deserve this fate…" "You really need to stop despairing like that, my lord," a female voice reproved in time with a steady swishing noise. "Rue," the draconic humanoid glanced over at the feather-duster maid sashaying over to his chair, "Is there something you needed?" "Don't even think about changing the subject," Rue snapped, "Why are you sitting in here moping and not coming up with ways to sweep that girl off her feet?" Tier covered his face with his hand and groaned, "It's not that easy… I have no idea what I should even be considering." "So you're just going to sit here and let time slip through your fingers," the maid stared at him incredulously, "It's not as though you have a lot left. The rose-" "I know," the beast-man cut her off before sighing and repeating dejectedly, "I know…"

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Ahiru's eyes fluttered open; she had ended up crying herself to sleep and dozed for close to an hour. She wondered what had awakened her when she heard a tapping sound at her door. "Who is it," she called drowsily as she stood up. "My name is Raetsel. I manage the kitchen staff," a woman's voice called back, "I thought you might like a cup of tea." "Tea sounds…nice," the red-head blinked in surprise as the door opened and a tea cart coasted through with a teapot and cup on it…yet no one was pushing it, "Huh?" "Sorry, I took so long to make it up here," the teapot apologized, "But tea only brews so fast." "The teapot's…talking," the young woman stared in disbelief before stumbled backwards…and ran right into the wardrobe…who yelped in surprise. "Oh, dear," the wardrobe frowned worriedly, "Are you all right, miss?" "This is…unreal," Ahiru breathed as she sat heavily on her bed.

"Hm? Well," the wardrobe mused, "I suppose it is a bit. Does that bother you?" "Not really," the red-head shook her head with a faint smile, "It reminds me of some of the old stories my father used to tell me… I just never thought I'd wind up _living_ in one." "Told you she was pretty, Auntie-zura," Uzura chirped as Raetsel poured tea into her. "Yes, you did," Raetsel smiled indulgently, "Now why don't you bring the pretty girl her tea?" "Okay-zura," the teacup nodded and bounced to the edge of the tray. "Carefully now," the teapot called after her, "Don't spill!" Ahiru giggled as she picked up the small teacup and took a sip of tea, "Mm! It's good…"

"Wanna see me do a trick-zura," the enchanted cup asked, and prompted to blow bubbles in the tea without waiting for a response. "Uzura, enough," the enchanted teapot scolded, "Don't be rude." "Sorry-zura," the teacup apologized sheepishly. "It's okay," the blue-eyed young woman replied before holding the cup up to her face and whispering, "I thought it was a good trick." Uzura looked up at the young woman and beamed, "I like you-zura! You're nice-zura!" "It was very brave of you to give up your freedom for your father's sake," Raetsel smiled kindly at the young woman as she sipped her tea. Ahiru flinched slightly at that even as the wardrobe nodded, "Not many would be willing to trust the master considering how he looks."

The red-head frowned, "I know he's scary looking…but why would people not like him for that? I can get not liking him because he's mean, but just because he's tall and frightening?" "Sometimes people prefer to judge a book by its cover," the teapot admitted sadly. "That's wrong," the blue-eyed young woman shook her head forcefully, "Doesn't he have any friends?" "Aside from us, no," the wardrobe replied, "The master isn't exactly good with people." Ahiru reflected that this actually explained a lot about her captor, and why he went from being a complete jerk to almost-nice. She took another sip of tea and hummed thoughtfully. Originally, she was thinking she wasn't going to accept Tier's invite to dine with him, but now…maybe all he needed was for someone to give him a chance.

Raetsel glanced at the clock and gasped, "Oh my, look at the time. I have to help get dinner ready. Uzura! Come along now. Please excuse me, Miss." "Ahiru," the young woman corrected with a smile as both teapot and teacup left, "My name is Ahiru." "Bye, Ahiru-zura," Uzura called back before the door shut. The wardrobe bowed slightly, "Miss Ahiru, my name is Hermia. Shall we get you dressed for dinner?" Ahiru hesitated slightly, she was still a bit uncertain about accepting, but…she had to admit she was a bit curious now. "Okay," she nodded, "But nothing too fancy." Hermia beamed back, "I think we can manage that. Now let's see what I've got in my drawers." She shrugged her doors open and hummed thoughtfully as she flicked through the dresses inside with one door. "Ah," she exclaimed as she pulled out a simple pink dress, "How about this one?" "I look silly in pink," the red-head admitted, "What else do you have?"

The young woman and wardrobe cycled through several more dresses before finally settling on a slightly fancy yellow dress with a white stripe across the waist. Ahiru changed; feeling more than a little awkward as she did so. She swished the skirt around a few times once she had it on. It was the first time she had worn a dress with a ruffled, frilly skirt and she had to admit messing with it was kind of addicting. She was still swishing it back and forth when a knock came at the door. "Quack," she yelped before shaking herself and calling, "Come in!" The door opened to reveal a clock with a young man's face carven into it.

The actual clock face itself rested a couple of inches below the carven visage which would have been normal enough…save for the two human-like blue eyes blinking up at her from the carved face. The time-piece bowed formally, "Dinner is served, miss. If you would follow me?" Ahiru nodded hesitantly, "Um…Okay. Um, you can call me Ahiru you know." "I'm afraid that would be rude, miss," the clock replied primly before bouncing away with an astonishing amount of dignity. The red-head took a deep breath and smiled weakly at Hermia, "Wish me luck." The wardrobe waved a door at her and returned her smile, "Good luck, Ahiru!" The blue-eyed young woman followed the clock out the door, and down the hall towards the dining room…all the time wondering if she wasn't making a huge mistake.

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Tier paced uneasily in front of the fireplace in the dining hall as he clenched and unclenched his fists. He swore under his breath before slamming his hand down on the mantelpiece. "Damn it," he growled, "What's taking them so long?! I just want to get this over with!" "That probably isn't the best attitude to have going into a romantic dinner for two," Mytho commented as he looked on. The dragon-like man froze and stared blankly at the wall, "Wait…what? Romantic? What?!" "It may be too soon to push that, Mytho," Raetsel shook herself sadly, "The poor girl just lost her father, her dreams, and her entire future all in one day." The dark-scaled creature flinched at that as the golden-eyed candlestick countered, "We may not have the time to wait. The rose is wilting more and more by the day!" "Believe me," Tier glowered darkly, "I am well aware of that. I know she's the last hope we have…"

"Then it's simple enough," Mytho gestured, "She falls for you. You fall for her. And we're human again by the end of the week!" The draconic humanoid stared blankly at his servant as Raetsel chided him, "It's not so easy as that. These things take time. Remember how long it took for you and Rue to work out your feelings for each other?" The candlestick shuffled awkwardly at that, "Ah… Right…" "There's also the whole issue with my not knowing if I'm even _capable_ of falling in love," Tier pointed out morosely, "Let alone how to go about winning her affections. This is never going to work…" The two servants shared a concerned look at the sheer depths of their master's depression. It had been growing steadily over the years in spite of their efforts to fight it and keep his spirits up. The closer the curse's deadline grew, the worse it got. Still, they refused to give up on him. How could they? He was far more than just their lord and master; he was family.

"Now don't talk like that, my lord," Raetsel soothed, "You're a good person deep down. You just need to let her see who you really are." Tier looked away and scowled, "I can't…" "You were doing well enough earlier," Mytho pointed out. "Not really. I felt as though I was going to choke on my guilt the whole time," the beast-man admitted with a sigh. "Because you _are_ a good person," the teapot affirmed, "Everything will go fine so long as you are a gentleman." The winged man raised a brow ridge at that, but did his best to relax and adopt a more formal posture. "A smile would also do a lot to put her at ease," the candlestick prompted. "I doubt that. I have _fangs_ ," the scaled being pointed out dryly, "Smiling only makes them more prominent." "Eye smile then," the candelabra corrected. Tier gave him a blank look; he had no idea how to do that. 'What the hell is an eye smile anyways,' he wondered irately. "Probably best if you avoid doing anything you think may frighten the poor thing," Raetsel mused which earned her a grateful look.

"Be witty and charming. Like the characters in your old stories," Mytho advised. 'Easier to write about than do,' the draconic humanoid lamented internally. "But don't go overboard," the enchanted crockery added with a stern look to the golden-eyed candlestick, "She's still a bit fragile." "Give her complements," the candelabra prompted, "Her eyes, her hair, her dress, and anything else you can think of. Tell her she's beautiful." "But you have to mean it," the teapot countered, "An insincere compliment can be just as bad as an insult." "And more than anything else," the enchanted candle holder concluded with a significant look at his female companion. Tier, by that point, was feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of the things he had to remember, and started gripping at the bridge of his nose to hold back a headache. "Keep your temper under control," the two finished in unison. That admonition drew a sharp glare from the scaled man. He _knew_ he had a short temper! He'd known it for years! That didn't mean he knew how to control the damn thing. It was the whole reason they were even in their current situation! 'This is going to be a disaster,' he groaned internally.

A knock came at the door and Tier abruptly straightened back up. Slowly it opened, Autor entered, cleared his throat, and announced in his most formal voice, "May I present, Miss Ahiru of Grünefelder." Ahiru shyly walked through the door and rubbed her arm nervously, "Um…good evening…" She was seriously starting to have second thoughts about this dinner thing. "Good evening," the beast-man replied quietly as he took in her appearance. She looked…different. When he first saw her he honestly thought she looked childishly adorable. With her large blue eyes, freckles, and wrinkled peasant blouse and skirt how could he not? But now…now she looked genuinely pretty.

It was the dress, he decided; it accented her features in such a way that it made her look more mature. Unfortunately, this realization didn't do anything for his confidence especially since it came along with another noting her clear anxiety. In light of that, he showed her to a seat at the opposite end of the table from his. He was well aware that he looked frightening, and hoped that putting some distance between them would relieve some of her nervousness. "Here," Tier pulled out her chair and waited for her to sit before pushing it back in. He then made his way to the other end of the table where he took his own seat.

Ahiru relaxed considerably as he moved away and she started to look around the room with clear curiosity. In spite of her unhappiness with her current situation, part of her couldn't help being fascinated by the fact she was _living in a castle_! Sure, her captor still made her extremely uneasy, she hated being separated from her father, and could not stop fretting about how Pike would react to her going missing all of a sudden…but it was a _real castle_! She'd never even _dreamed_ such a thing would ever happen to her. She perked up as the door leading to the kitchens open and looked on in wonder as the dishes served up the food themselves. "Wow," she breathed. That was another thing she found fascinating about the experience so far; the living household decorations, furniture, and implements. She couldn't help but marvel at the strangeness of it all. It was like living in a fairy tale!

The beast-man refrained from commenting on the young woman's awed reactions and instead focused an irritated glare at the utensils laid out on the table. His talons made using the delicate implements _extremely_ difficult and he was debating about whether it was worth making the effort. He sighed and decided he'd do the best he could for the first few courses, but was going to revert to using his hands on the main one. This was easily the most formal dinner he'd had in years, so it took him a few moments to recall how many courses they'd have to sit through. 'Knowing how bored Raetsel claims the kitchen staff has been,' he thought as he continued glaring at the silverware, 'We're probably in for a five course dinner. Looks like she decided on soup for the first course this time. I suppose I should be grateful they aren't likely to try and go for a full royal feast…' He growled in frustration as his talons kept interfering with getting a grip on the soup spoon which Ahiru flinched at. Tier finally gave up and just drank directly from the soup bowl. In response to the red-head's confused look he grunted, "I can't hold silverware."

The rest of the meal passed mostly in awkward silence. Tier _frightened_ her and the fact that the two subsequent courses were both meat dishes didn't help. The first was fish and the sight of his sharp white teeth tearing through the skin was honestly terrifying. The second of steak wasn't much better as he used his talons to slice off shreds of meat and tossed them into his mouth before swallowing them whole. The rational part of her tried to point out that he probably didn't have any teeth suitable for chewing his food, but her primal instincts overwhelmed it with their screaming of, "Predator! Predator! Run away!"

Admittedly, he looked almost as uncomfortable as she was so that helped mitigate her anxiety somewhat. At least enough that she could actually enjoy the meal she was served. She'd never eaten such rich food before in her life and decided that if there was one plus to her current situation it was the cuisine. She could get used to eating this well very easily. 'I'm just glad duck wasn't on the menu,' she admitted as she warily watched her captor finish his steak, 'Or any other type of bird. Maybe I can ask his servants if they can leave things like that off the menu permanently….'

At the other end of the table, Tier was trying to work up his nerve to say something to the girl. He wasn't _good_ at talking to people he was unfamiliar with. In the old days he could get by with hiding behind his reputation and station; most people were far too awed to notice that he was painfully awkward in social situations. His servants he had no trouble with, but only because he'd known them all his life. He didn't know this girl at all, and he had no idea how to talk to her in a way that _wouldn't_ drive her off. 'Should I tell her the dress looks nice,' he wondered before wincing, 'No, that just sounds pathetic. Maybe I should ask her if she likes her room… No, still too soon for that. Crap…'

By the time the dessert course came on, Tier was fed up with the whole experience. Not that there was anything _wrong_ with the meal itself. His kitchen staff always made the best food, in his opinion, but…the way the young red-head kept _cringing_ every time she glanced his way made _him_ wince in discomfort and guilt. He simply couldn't _take_ it anymore! The dragon like man sighed heavily and stood; Ahiru stared at him uneasily as he did so and her reaction did not escape his notice. He sighed again and murmured, "Forgive me, but I'm not hungry anymore. I'm going to return to my quarters." "Uh," the blue-eyed maiden looked uncertain, "Does that mean dinner's over? Should I go back to my room?" "There's no need for that," the beast-man looked away, "Feel free to finish the meal at your leisure. I just…need to leave. Sorry."

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The draconic humanoid swiftly exited the dining room and swept through the halls, up the stairs, and to his chambers in the North Wing. He groaned and ran a hand down his face as he walked across the floor over to a small table in the middle of the room. The table was bare of decoration save for a book with an ornate cover and lock holding it shut, and a glowing, blood-red rose in a silver vase under a glass cover. The rose was just starting to wilt with three petals resting on the surface around the foot of the vase. Tier brushed his claws lightly across the glass cover with a haunted look in his eyes before he sighed once more. "I'm such a coward," he whispered, "I can't even handle a single meal with the girl without fleeing her presence…" The scaled man's eyes fell on the book and he hesitated briefly before picking it up. Gently, he ran his fingers across the lock causing it to release. He opened it revealing that it had no pages, but a pearly, swirling light shining softly from the confines of the covers. "Show me Ahiru," he commanded softly and the light spiraled up into a glowing vortex. Within the swirling glow an image took shape: an illusion of what he wished to see.

Tier couldn't repress the pained flinch at how much more at ease Ahiru seemed with his absence. She was chatting happily with the transformed serving staff, and complimenting them heavily on everything from the food to the service. She was so much more lively and vibrant than she was when he was near… "She's afraid of me," he murmured before laughing bitterly, "And I can't even blame her for feeling that way…" He shut the book, dispelling the illusion, and placed it back on the table. He walked over to the window and stared out into the raging blizzard. 'This…is a mistake,' he admitted to himself, 'Keeping her here… She'll never love me… I was a fool to hope for such a thing…and yet…I can't bear to let her go… And Raetsel thinks I'm a good man…?' He scoffed bitterly, "Yeah right. A good man wouldn't keep an innocent girl locked up with him. A good man wouldn't be so selfish as to cling to a fool's hope when he knows better. A good man…wouldn't be in this mess in the first place. I'm nothing more…than a monster…"

 **A/N:** Did I mention Tier has guilt problems? He has guilt problems. So that's another chapter done. Before anyone points it out, I am aware that I skipped over the flash back to what was happening back in her home village. That was deliberate. It interrupted the flow of events for my version of the story and is being bumped ahead to next chapter…probably. I'm still debating on when to stick it in. I know it's necessary to set up future incidents that are key to the plot. I just kind of enjoy fixating on the interaction between my two protagonists. If it wasn't obvious, they are at the painfully awkward stage of their relationship. If you liked the description of Ahiru's room…that was a royal pain to describe as I don't know all that many architectural terms. I had the image in my head…I just didn't know the right words to use to describe certain parts. So I looked them up on the internet. Here's the website I used if anyone needs to use it as a reference for what the hell I am talking about: http colon double backslash www dot buffaloah dot com backslash a backslash DCTNRY backslash vocab dot html …It was a freaking godsend! As for why I used a book instead of the mirror…eh, a book seemed more fitting. The description given in chapter doesn't really do the thing justice, though. It's a book roughly the size of the 'Prince and the Raven' novel from the anime. The cover is green dyed leather with gold and silver embossing and there is no writing on either the cover or binding; only a design that looks vaguely like a golden eye within a silver and green spiral on the front. The clasp holding it shut is tarnished silver and is on the end of a green leather band. The pages, when shut, are white and seem to glow faintly. When opened, the pages cease to hold the semblance of paper and turn to pure radiant energy that shines with a soft white light. The vortex that forms when activated isn't very high; it's only about a foot and a half tall. The illusions it creates are constrained by that limitation. At the most, they are only a foot tall. Unlike the mirror in the movie, the images formed within the vortex of light are three dimensional and translucent. You can see a vague impression of the shape of things behind the image. Yet in spite of the small size and translucence, the images it creates are astonishingly lifelike. It's a powerful enchanted item that serves as Tier's window into the outside world…not that he uses it that much. Now I wish I was a better artist… I want to draw the book I just made up now… Bleh…stupid lack of drawing talent… It really sucks having a vivid imagination and feeling constantly inadequate in my portrayals of what I see in my head. Sulking now…


	6. Interlude

**A/N:** And I'm back again to twist an old Disney movie and fairy-tale into knots for my own amusement. I think I will put the village interlude in this chapter. In fact, the entire chapter will be an interlude to show what is happening while Ahiru is away! So we will not be seeing any of our protagonists. I am also going to add-in some little extra flourishes. Because creative license. Whee! Here we go!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not, have not, and will never own any of the things I am using for this fic. This includes Princess Tutu and Beauty and the Beast (either version) which belong to their respective owners.

Chapter 5: Interlude

Charon struggled, for the umpteenth time, to open the door of the derelict carriage as it lurched awkwardly along yet it would not budge. He didn't know if the creature had locked it before sending him away, or if the bizarre contrivance was as aware as the other items in that castle and was holding him in deliberately. The smith let out a groan of frustration as he fell back against the moldering seats and buried his face in his hands. There was nothing he could do to escape; he had to admit it. Bitter tears welled up in his eyes as he realized there was nothing he could do for Ahiru until the carriage let him out back at the village.

The smith clenched his jaw in determination as yet another thought came. The old man may not be able to return for his daughter right away, but surely, once he got back to Grünefelder, he could rally aid from the other villagers in order to rescue her. He had to cling to that hope. Charon refused to leave his dear Ahiru in that castle alone with that…creature… As he thought about the monster that held his daughter captive he frowned. He'd been uneasy about the beast's intentions ever since he had shown a spark of interest when the man had been pleading for his freedom.

What did he want with her? Why did he trap her into making such a deal? What did he mean when he said she was his only hope? Just what was going on in that castle? _What would become of Ahiru if he couldn't save her?_ The smith was confused and frightened for he could not answer any of these questions which tormented him. Yet he would have to wait to find what answers there may be. Charon finally raised his head and gazed out the window into the swirling snow. Until he could return for his daughter…all he could do…was worry and pray for her safety.

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The blizzard that had slammed into the mountains was weakened considerably by the time it reached Grünefelder, but still produced heavy snowfall and gusting winds. Winter had come far earlier than usual that year, and the villagers were not as prepared as they might have been to face it. It would be a hard one to weather, yet weather it they would. It was not the first time such a thing had happened in living memory, after all. The townsfolk would pool their resources to make it through. If one family lacked the firewood to make it through the cold nights, their neighbors would take them in until the weather eased; the wealthy merchant families of town, who often possessed more food and clothing than they needed, would offer both out on loan to their less fortunate neighbors.

In this they followed the example of the Falkenrath family who, in spite of no longer being true nobility, still tried to uphold the ideal of noblesse oblige. The Falknerath's would go even further than most by opening up their home to their neighbors. Families who lacked sufficient food, shelter, or warmth could ride out the worst of the season at their manor. Pike's family's was influential, but not because of their wealth. They were richer than most –save for the squabbling noble families that supposedly were in charge – in the region, it was their generosity and the gratitude it earned them that inspired others to follow their lead.

Grünefelder would survive the winter as they always had: by coming together. After all, who else could they depend on if not each other? The nobles played their games of power in the vacuum left by the loss of the royal family. They would not offer aid unless it benefited them. The village of Grünefelder was small and insignificant to these power struggles. There would be no aid from that quarter. No, the only ones the villagers could truly count on…were their neighbors. And so it had been for all small towns since the disappearance of the Crown Prince and end of the royal line. They were used to it.

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Pike frowned as she studied the letter her best friend had left behind for what had to be the one-hundredth time since she'd found it. What was Ahiru thinking going off alone like that? The magenta-haired young woman could understand being concerned for her father's safety, but she could have at least found someone to go with her. The mountains were a dangerous place, and the red-head was no fighter. The young woman brought her knuckle up to her mouth in concern as she made her way towards the tavern. 'Maybe Mr. Katzenhaft can help me organize a search party to look for both of them,' she thought as the wind swirled the falling snow around her feet.

The old ballet dancer was fairly well respected in town, and he was always willing to offer aid to his students. Admittedly, this aid normally came in the form of advice, but Pike was hopeful that the man would do something more in this case. Ahiru was one of his favorite students, after all. Sure, she wasn't the best dancer in the class, but she had heart. Not to mention the girl was so kind and compassionate that it was impossible to _not_ like her. 'I hope Ahiru is safe,' the violet eyed young woman prayed as she reached the tavern door, 'Wherever she is…' With a deep breath, the aspiring ballerina opened the door and walked into the warm light that spilled out of it. Hopefully, Mr. Katzenhaft hadn't broken his routine in the face of the storm.

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The old ballet instructor sighed as the youngest Brinkerhoff continued to bemoan his rejection at the hands of his favorite student. Mr. Katzenhaft had to applaud the girl for showing she had sense. The old man had strong views on the sanctity of love and marriage, and this Femio boy clearly understood neither. 'He'll never get married if he keeps up that attitude,' he sighed again before raising his glass of mulled wine and taking a sip. "Oh good," he cracked his eyes open as a young woman's voice addressed him in relief, "I was hoping you'd be here."

The retired dancer glanced over and raised a bushy brow as he noted one of his students standing next to his table with a worried look on her face. "Miss Falkenrath," he greeted formally, "You're certainly out late. Is there something wrong?" The magenta-haired young woman took a seat across from him and sighed in dismay, "I'm afraid so. Ahiru took off yesterday after Mr. Schmidt when his horse came back without him. She left a note telling me about it." Pike handed over the note her friend had written to her teacher which the old man dutifully picked up and read.

' _Dear Pike_ ,' the note stated, ' _I think my father is in trouble. Fafnir came back moments before I started writing this covered in scratches, twigs, and mud and practically on the verge of collapse. My father wasn't with him when he returned. I think they were in the mountains when he was lost. I dread to think of what may have happened to him when our poor horse was in such a sorry state. I'm going to be taking Fafnir out once I finish this letter to go find what happened to him. I'm hoping he's still alive. No, I know he is. He has to be. I don't want you to worry about me! Father and I will be back before too long, so worrying would be silly! Fafnir is a smart horse! He'll be able to lead me to where father is. I'll see you when we get back. Could you please keep an eye on the house for me until we do? Thank you! Forever your friend, Ahiru._ '

"You're worried about Ahiru and her father," Mr. Katzenhaft concluded as he set the letter back down. "The mountains are dangerous," Pike fretted, "There's wolves, bears, and God only knows what else out there. Ahiru has no idea how to fight! She could get killed! I'm…scared…" The retired dancer frowned, "When did you last see her?" "Yesterday afternoon," the magenta-haired young woman admitted, "It was right after Femio tried proposing to her." "Meaning she would have only reached the mountains either mid or late morning today," the old man reasoned, "She may very well have found her father already and be on her way back."

"But what if she didn't," the young woman fretted, "What if they're lost in the storm or worse… I want to get a search party together to go after them, but…I don't really know how to organize something like that…" The ballet instructor sighed and shook his head, "With this storm raging, a search party would have no chance of tracking them. Give it another couple of days and, if neither of them have returned by then, I will see what I can do." Pike gave a frustrated sigh, "I'm really worried, though…" Mr. Katzenhaft reached across the table and patted her hand gently, "Because you love your friend and you want her to be safe. Your concern is perfectly understandable, but you shouldn't let it drive you to such distress. I'm sure they're both fine. You'll see."

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While the old ballet dancer was doing his best to comfort his student, across the room Femio continued to mope over the rejection he suffered the day before. "I don't understand," he moaned, "She didn't even give me a chance to speak… Is my beauty really so intimidating that she would respond to my attentions with such fear?" Lilie patted the depressed young man on the shoulder and smiled, "It was a _spectacular_ rejection. Just what I'd expect from you, Master Femio!" The young man flinched at the word 'rejection' and buried his face in his hands, "Rejected… Me?! The most beautiful and eligible bachelor in town?! How can this be?!"

The blonde' smile only brightened, "Oh, it was truly marvelous! The hail of debris falling on you as you scrambled desperately away while her screams of _absolute_ denial hound you mercilessly! And when you fell into the hog wallow with such despair etched on your face! Such _magnificent_ drama!" "Absolute denial," he moaned as he sunk even lower into his chair, "Could it truly be that the fairest rose in town rejects my love? Impossible! I am Femio Brinkerhoff! All the girls in town love me…right?" "Oh, don't worry about _them_ , dear Femio," the slender blonde cooed, "Ahiru is the one that matters, remember? Ah, that was such a marvelously dramatic failure of a proposal, though, wasn't it? It trumps all the others by far…"

"I have never once failed," Femio retorted with an indignant scowl before slumping once more, "At least not until now…" "Keep telling yourself that, my dear cousin," Lilie patted his head with a bright grin. The flamboyant young man groaned and buried his face in his hands again. He'd never before had reason to doubt his appeal, but to be rejected in such a way… It had shaken his confidence terribly. The thought that it was possible for Ahiru to _not_ love him…it was maddening! His hands slid up to fist themselves in his hair as his pupils contracted and he started to breath heavily. No! He was certain that she loved him! She just didn't realize it yet! Somehow he had to make her realize her true feelings for him! But how…

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All activity in the tavern was brought to a sudden halt when the door suddenly burst open and a disheveled Charon stumbled through with a desperate look on his face. "Please! Someone help me, please," he blurted out as he latched onto a patron's arm. The man he grabbed yanked his arm away and backed away slowly. The old smith looked half-mad, and it was honestly disturbing to all who saw him. "Please," the smith repeated desperately, "You must help me save her!" Mr. Katzenhaft stood and walked over with a concerned look on his face, "Charon, calm down. You're frightening people. Who is it that needs saving?" "Ahiru," the sandy haired man moaned as he gripped the old dancer's arms, "Please! She's in terrible danger! There's no time to waste!"

Femio perked up at the name of the girl he was obsessed with and looked over as Lilie tilted her head in fascination, "Ooh, what sort of danger?" "She's been captured by a terrible monster," Charon buried his face in his hands, "He's got her locked away in a dungeon and I have no idea what he wants with her! Please, you must help me save her!" 'A damsel in distress,' the flamboyant young man perked up even further, 'Could it be true? If I were to rescue the fair Ahiru from the clutches of a hideous monster, surely she'd have to give me her love!'

One of the other villagers then scoffed dismissively, "I know you enjoy those old stories, Charon, but this is a bit much. A monster has Ahiru captive? Ridiculous. You've been out in the storm too long and it's made you delirious." "Yeah," another villager agreed, "Go home and rest, old man. You're spouting nonsense." "It's true, I tell you," the smith protested as he looked around the room with a look of growing despair on his face. "You have to admit it sounds rather far-fetched," Mr. Katzenhaft stated evenly though his expression was sympathetic, "I don't doubt you've been through something traumatic, but a monster of all things? Such things only happen in stories."

Charon's shoulders slumped as it finally hit him, "You don't believe me… You all think I'm mad…" "Not mad," Mr. Katzenhaft offered soothingly, "Just a bit confused. You'll feel better after you've rested and then you can tell us what really happened to you. I'm sure Ahiru will be relieved to learn you're safe, though. She took off on her own to find you when your horse returned alone." "I know that," the smith moaned, "She _found_ me! That's why she's in danger, but you won't believe me…" The old dancer signaled for Pike to come over and help him guide the old man back to his home, and the aspiring ballerina responded. "Come now, Charon," the ballet teacher soothed as he and his student steered the distraught man towards the door, "Let's get you home."

Femio watched the trio leave with a calculating expression on his face. He had reluctantly admitted that the likelihood of Ahiru being in the clutches of a monster were slim, yet Charon's words had still given him an idea. "Mad…," he whispered, "If I have Lilie convince the town Charon has gone mad…and suggest that he be institutionalized for his own good…then when he is to be taken away…I can vouch for the old man's character and be a hero in her eyes. She'll have to love me then!" "Hm," Lilie looked over at her favorite cousin/ toy in confusion, "Did you say something, dear Femio?" "I finally know how I can get Ahiru to admit she is in love with me," the flamboyant young man raised his head with a chilling grin on his face, "I have a plan…but I'll need your help to pull it off, my dear Lilie."

The blonde perked up and knelt next to the young man with an eager grin on her face, "Ohh, what sort of plan!? Will there be drama? Tragedy? A _battle_?!" "Just listen," Femio smirked before leaning forward and whispering his full scheme in her ear. Her eyes widened as she brought a hand to her mouth to suppress a delighted squeal once she grasped what the young man's plan entailed. "It's _perfect_ ," she breathed blissfully, "Oh, my _dear_ cousin, you are absolutely the _best_!" "I know," he replied arrogantly as he buffed his nails on his jacket, "I know…"

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Charon was in a horrified daze as his daughter's ballet teacher and best friend led him back to his house. They didn't _believe_ him… How was he supposed to rescue Ahiru on his own? That monster, Tier, had been so very strong and could have killed him easily if he so chose. He was certain about that. With those vicious talons, and that terrifying speed…he'd stand no chance if he tried to rescue his daughter on his own. 'Maybe if I try again after I've rested a bit people will be more willing to accept what I am trying to tell them,' he considered, 'I'm just so worried… I don't want to leave Ahiru in that monster's clutches any longer than I have to…'

The smith was jolted out of his daze as he noticed the boarded up front door to his house. "What…happened," he asked slowly. Pike sighed and answered shortly, "Femio." Mr. Katzenhaft explained further, "The young Brinkerhoff tried proposing to your daughter yesterday and thought barging through the front door on the back of his pet bull was the right way to start things off. Poor Ahiru panicked and made it quite clear she wasn't interested. He left in disgrace and the carpenter is currently working on a replacement front door that is being paid for by the young man's parents." A frown crossed the smith's face at that, "Good. I don't want that boy anywhere _near_ Ahiru." In spite of his family's wealth, Femio didn't strike him as being the type of man he could trust to genuinely care for his daughter. He was far too frivolous.

"I did my best to weatherproof the patch job Ahiru made after the whole proposal incident earlier today," the magenta-haired ballerina offered as they made their way around to the back door, "So the house shouldn't be too draughty." "Thank you," Charon replied quietly before trailing off into a pensive silence. Ballet student and teacher helped the old man to the door and waited for him to unlock it and step through before they turned to leave. However, Pike hesitated and turned back with an uneasy look on her face. The sandy-haired man noticed her hesitation and waited patiently for her to speak before he shut the door.

It was only after Mr. Katzenhaft was out of ear shot that she voiced the question that had been bothering her ever since the old man burst into the tavern. "Ahiru…," the young woman asked hesitantly, "Isn't _really_ being held captive by some monster…is she?" "I wish she weren't," Charon replied sadly, "I really do…but what I said was the truth." The magenta-haired girl's wyes widened in horror as the smith looked off to the side with an utterly broken look before he continued, "Ahiru is being held captive by a monster far beyond my capabilities… I can't save her on my own… Oh Ahiru…what am I going to _do_?"

 **A/N:** You know, normally interludes are supposed to be peaceful and give a break from the suspense. Not with me! I keep the levels of tension consistent until it is appropriate to let them drop back down. At the moment, an air of suspense is what I want and will be continuing up until the flight from the castle/rescue. My characters are being wonderfully cooperative in how they react to things. Charon's fear for Ahiru's safety, Pike's concern for her friend, Lilie's shameless self-indulgence, Femio's denial and slow decent into villain-hood, Mr. Katzenhaft's supportiveness… They all responded exactly the way I wanted them too! The words flowed with such ease… Their reactions felt real as I wrote them. That's kind of my goal, really. I want all of the characters to feel like real people. Even if I don't end up fully developing them or exploring their backgrounds and motivations, I want them to have a sense of depth. I set myself some pretty high standards because that is NOT easy to pull off.


	7. Crossing the Line

**A/N:** And we're back with our protagonists again. I pace things a bit slower than the movie does. There will be some elapsed time before Ahiru's curiosity gets the better of her and things blow up. Whether that blow up happens in this chapter or the next remains to be seen as I am not entirely sure yet. We'll see how it goes. Have I mentioned how much I love writing recently? Because I _really_ love writing! SO MUCH! I really think I may be addicted… Eh, whatever. So long as I don't start neglecting taking care of myself to the point that I get sick it's fine. I'm not quite _that_ bad… I only forget to eat sometimes…and bathe…and sleep… Hm…maybe I do have a problem…. NAH. I'm fine. I think… Eh heh… Let's, uh, get to the chapter shall we! Yeah…

 **Disclaimer:** I do not, have not, and will never own any of the things I am using for this fic. This includes Princess Tutu and Beauty and the Beast (either version) which belong to their respective owners.

Chapter 6: Crossing the Line

If there was one thing all occupants of the castle soon became accustomed to in the first two weeks of Ahiru's imprisonment it was her clumsiness. In the first week alone, Autor had taken to keeping a running tally in his head of all the things she'd knocked over, broken, or scratched and their respective values. The sum was not inconsiderable. She'd also had several close calls involving staircases and the only reason she hadn't been seriously injured is because, in spite of his intentions to avoid her, Tier kept rescuing her at the last second. He'd never been as grateful for his speed as he had been the first time she tripped at the top of the stairs leading down to the dining room and nearly fallen over the railing. He'd barely managed to reach her in time to pull her back. Admittedly, he had also bolted the second he had placed her back on solid ground, but still…

For her part, Ahiru was grateful for how he kept saving her from her own clumsiness and was growing frustrated by how he never stuck around long enough for her to thank him. His presence might make her uncomfortable, but she had been brought up to show gratitude when helped. She thought it was a rude of him to just run away like he did, but didn't really complain. The other servants were just relieved she was safe and had started taking steps to effectively 'Ahiru-proof' the castle as much as they could. By the middle of the second week the number of incidents where she knocked things over had effectively stopped, and she had started taking extreme care when moving about near _any_ of the staircases. It was a relief to everyone. She still tripped occasionally, of course. The young woman had ruefully confessed to Hermia that her clumsiness was an issue that had troubled her for as long as she could remember and was always worse when she was nervous. The wardrobe was enough of a gossip that word soon spread to the rest of the staff…and Tier as well.

The red-haired maiden had mixed feelings about her captor, even if she _did_ want to thank him for how he had kept saving her from falling. Part of this was because he _was_ keeping her imprisoned in his castle for the rest of her life. She supposed there were worse prisons as the grounds were spacious enough and the servants were very kind – even if the fact that they were all household implements of some kind caught her off guard at times – but it was still a prison. Another part was his inconsistent behavior towards her. In the course of the first night she had spent at the castle he had been chillingly formal, then he started trying to be nice to her, and finally there was his clear discomfort during the one dinner they shared together. His current habit of avoiding her – except for when she was in danger – was just another example of his odd behavior as far as she was concerned. She couldn't figure out what his intentions towards her were, and that made her uneasy.

Finally there was his appearance. Tier was, quite simply, an intimidating figure. He was far taller than she was, he had those talons and sharp teeth, and he was clearly much stronger than his lean build would otherwise imply. She couldn't forget how easily he'd lifted her father off the ground as he carried him away. Her father was not exactly a small man and his work as a smith had given him a solid physique…yet the draconic humanoid's actions had been so _effortless_. The only reason she wasn't terrified out of her mind was because she also remembered how gentle his touch had been when he'd helped her to her feet. Privately, she had started thinking of him as being a bit of a walking contradiction.

Barring her inability to make any sense out of her captor's motivations, and her resentment of being imprisoned, she wasn't entirely miserable. She had struck up several friendships among the servants. Most notable were Hermia the wardrobe, Raetsel the teapot, Mytho the candelabra, Uzura the teacup, and Rue the feather-duster. Each of these five had taken to the young woman almost immediately. Raetsel was a motherly figure which was a novel experience for the red-head. The closest she could come to a mother-figure while growing up was Charon's cousin, and the woman had only visited once a year. She was constantly asking after Ahiru's well-being and if she needed anything to make her stay more comfortable, yet somehow managed to avoid being smothering in her concern. Hermia and Rue were both starting to feel like sisters. The wardrobe was like a slightly spazzy, caring, and gossipy sister while the feather-duster was her composed, assertive, and sassy sister. The feather duster also seemed to be in a relationship of some sort with Mytho. Ahiru'd never gotten a straight answer out of either as to whether they were courting or what, but there was clearly _something_ there.

As for Mytho, he was so polite, charming, protective, and…well… _noble_ that she had once impulsively asked him if he wasn't an enchanted prince. That had caused him to burst out laughing before he assured her that, while he found the fact that she thought so highly of him flattering, he was only a humble servant and was content with his place in life. She'd actually started seeing him a sort of a brotherly figure much as Rue was a sisterly one. She didn't get why he and the clock, Autor, were so often at odds though. Granted, her efforts at befriending the enchanted timepiece hadn't gone so well. He was always in a disagreeable mood when she tried talking to him and tended to take a condescending tone when speaking with her. Ahiru still tried to be polite to him, but had mostly stopped going out of her way to be friendly.

Her relationship with Uzura was a bit more complicated. The little teacup clearly adored the young woman, and Ahiru appreciated her company…but she was just so _curious_. It was pretty much inevitable that, at some point, the naïve teacup would ask a question that reminded the imprisoned girl of life back in Grünefelder and that would lead to her growing depressed. The teacup, of course, would be confused by this and end up asking her why her she was sad and the red-head would always try and come up with an excuse to avoid hurting her companion's feelings. There was also the fact that Uzura was clearly a very young child, so Ahiru was more inclined to treat the teacup in a motherly fashion than a friendly one. It was an odd companionship they shared, but one the blue-eyed young woman honestly treasured.

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Ahiru had mostly eaten her meals alone in the two weeks of her captivity with her only company being the servants handling her food, and occasionally one or more of her friends would be present. Usually Mytho or Rue as Uzura usually had chores and Raetsel had to handle affairs with the kitchen staff more often than not during meals. Hermia spent most of her time in the bedroom Tier had given her because it was simply far too difficult for her to get through the door. The young woman honestly enjoyed the dinner conversations she had with the pair. Sometimes she'd ask them about her captor, but she'd yet to get a straight answer on that topic either. The feather duster was quite good at deflecting questions she _didn't_ want to answer. The candlestick was a bit more honest, but tended to stick to partial answers that only whetted her curiosity. All she'd learned so far was that they were both quite fond of him…and that Rue got impatient with the dragon-like man rather frequently.

"So how come you can all talk anyways," the young woman asked Mytho and Rue one evening, "I've been wondering about that for a while. Is this castle enchanted or something?" It was something she was quite curious about, but had never quite gotten around to bringing it up until now. The candelabra winced, "Ah ha… Um, I…uh…" The feather duster took over in response to the pleading look he shot her, "What makes you think this castle is enchanted?" "Household implements don't normally talk," Ahiru pointed out reasonably. "We could all be possessed by ghosts," Rue pointed out as an alternative explanation. The red-head blanched and shook her head vigorously, "Nuh uh! Not ghosts! That is too scary!" "We aren't ghosts," Mytho admitted in an attempt to calm her down. "So you _are_ enchanted," the young woman beamed. "I never said that," the candelabra protested. "Well, how else do you expect me to explain the fact that you can talk and how you all have faces," the blue-eyed girl frowned.

"It's not something we like to talk about," the feather duster stated firmly, "Please just drop the subject." Ahiru sighed, but agreed to let the matter go for now before she moved on to the next batch of questions that had been bothering her. "So why is Tier avoiding me," she asked. Rue scowled in annoyance, "Actually, that is something I'd like to have answered as well." Mytho frowned in concern, "I've tried asking him several times, but he just gives me this exasperated look and tells me to shut up." "Classic avoidance tactic," the burgundy-eyed feather duster sniffed in disgust, "He always pulls that move when he doesn't want to talk about something." "It sounds like you know him really well," Ahiru observed curiously. "We've had a long time to get used to his little quirks," Rue admitted wryly, "Including that temper of his."

"Temper," the blue-eyed girl blinked in surprise, "What do you mean?" Mytho winced and sighed, "His lordship…has always had a temper problem. He gets angry very easily and that makes him lash out…sometimes violently." The red-head started to get a bit scared by the revelation that she was basically living with a living time bomb and the feather duster moved quickly to soothe her fears. "He's not going to attack you," Rue pointed out, "His control may not be the best, but he's had plenty of experience at finding ways to vent his anger in ways that don't cause physical harm. Besides, his rages tend to be focused primarily on the one who set him off in the first place. He tends to remain in a foul mood for a while after his temper snaps, so if you run into him then he will be pretty snarly. Still, the worst he'll do in that case is snap at you or shoot you a dirty look. However, since he's been avoiding you lately, you shouldn't even need to worry about any of this. You're perfectly safe."

Ahiru relaxed slightly before moving on to her next topic, "So how old is this castle anyways?" "Ah," Mytho looked embarrassed, "You'd have to ask Autor about that. I'm not very good with history to be honest. I'm pretty sure he has every history book in the castle library memorized, though. At least one of them probably had to do with the castle itself. If anyone were to know, it would be him…also his lordship, but…" "Not asking him," the red-head shuddered before asking, "So he's probably in the library, right?" "He seldom leaves," both feather duster and candelabra chorused flatly. Ahiru giggled at their response and thanked them. "I'll go ask him after I finish eating," she stated with a smile.

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True to her word, Ahiru set out for the castle library after finishing her meal. Her path took her passed the stairway leading to the North Wing and she hesitated at the foot of the stairs. She had done her best to respect Tier's wishes to stay out of that section of the castle, and for a while it had been easy since she had the rest of the building and grounds available to explore. While the blizzard raged those first three days, she had been confined to the castle interior, but after the storm ended she moved out into the grounds. Only one other blizzard had interrupted her exploration of the massively expansive castle gardens and lawn. She'd spent that time exploring the other areas of the castle she hadn't gotten to yet. By the middle of the second week she had completed her exploration of the areas she was free to access. However, the North Wing was now the only part of the castle she had _not_ explored…and her curiosity had been growing increasingly demanding.

She knew she shouldn't go up there. Especially after the revelation that her captor had a temper problem, but…she was _really_ curious. 'Maybe if I'm really quiet and don't touch anything I can sneak up there and look around without him noticing,' Ahiru thought as she tentatively took a step towards the enticing staircase. She took another step, then another, and then another before hesitating once more. She finally gave a frustrated sigh, scowled determinedly, and headed up the stairs. She'd just take a quick look around and then go back to looking for Autor. Tier would never know she'd gone into the forbidden section of the castle, so there was really no harm in it…right?

To her surprise the North Wing was fairly dull, and she could find no reason for it to be off limits. There was a long, winding hallway with several doors leading off into side rooms, but most were empty of anything save a few scattered pieces of furniture covered by sheets and a thick, velvety layer of dust over it all. A few of the doors were locked, but she didn't bother trying to force them open. She was trying to _avoid_ drawing attention to her presence after all. At the end of the hall was another staircase which she followed upwards until she came to another hallway. This one was fairly short and led straight to an ornate carved wooden doorway. The carvings were obscured by a thick coating of dust, so she dismissed them.

The hallway floor was strewn with broken pieces of furniture and bore signs of extreme neglect. The only sign that anyone even came up here was a worn trail leading from the ornate door to the stairs that was entirely free of dust and debris. Ahiru followed this trail to the door which she hesitated outside of. So far she'd seen no sign of Tier anywhere leading her to wonder if he maybe wasn't wandering some other part of the castle. There was always the chance that he was in one of the locked rooms, but she doubted he'd be able to ignore the rattling of the door handle…unless he was sleeping. Then again…he could always be in the room behind _this_ one too. She was a bit anxious. Still, her curiosity was not letting up, so she reached out to open it. To her surprise it swung open easily and silently on well-oiled hinges. Swallowing hard, she slipped into the room and looked around curiously.

The room almost looked as though someone was using it as a storage room for broken furniture there was so much of it scattered across the floor. However, she doubted it was actually a storage room. There were signs that indicated this room was used for something else. There were bookcases lining the walls for one thing, and the books on the shelves looked well taken care of. She started to make her way across the cluttered floor and noticed other things that suggested this room had some importance. A large black and silver rug was rolled up and leaned up against one of the walls with an unusual degree of care in its placing. A writing desk in pristine condition was nestled in a small nook with a delicate looking lamp resting on it. A damaged painting hung on the wall next to the nook, and actually drew her in to take a closer look.

It was torn and charred in places, but she could just make out the figure of a teenaged boy in fine clothing. The area around his head had suffered the worst damage, but one characteristic in particular had survived unmarred: a stern pair of green eyes framed by thick, dark lashes. Those eyes were captivating in their intensity, and she couldn't help but stare into them for a few moments. Eventually, however, her curiosity urged her to move on. She still had the rest of the room to explore after all.

The far wall featured four large windows partly covered in torn dark blue curtains. Centered between these curtains was a windowed door leading out onto a balcony. To the left of the door, resting against the wall perpendicular to the one with the windows, was a large, four posted bed with torn green and black curtains hanging down from the overhead canopy and dark blue sheets covering the mattress. The sheets were crumpled as though the occupant had simply thrown them aside upon waking and not bothered to re-make the bed. That alone was enough to indicate this room's purpose: it was a bedroom. Most likely Tier's which made her more feel than slightly edgy, not to mention a bit guilty. There was no way she'd be able to deny that she was trespassing if she were to be caught, and she was starting to feel that she should have never given in to her curious nature.

Yet, as she turned to leave, she glimpsed a table resting immediately in front of the balcony doors and the items resting on it captured her attention just as strongly as the damaged painting had. She walked over to get a closer look in spite of her better judgement. Resting on the table was a silvery white vase containing a blood red rose that glowed faintly. Six petals lay scattered around the foot of the vase, and the fallen petals did not glow at all. The vase sat under a clear glass dome with a small knob on top that, Ahiru realized, would allow one to lift the dome off of the vase.

Her curiosity burned as she drew near the table and reached out to lift the glass cover so she could get a closer look at the rose. She was taken aback by how light it was and she carefully moved it so that it would not break. Entranced, she reached out to touch the glowing flower but was halted by a sudden gust of cold air coming from the door to the balcony. She froze and looked up guiltily to behold the owner of both room and rose… Tier was standing in the doorway with a look of surprise that was swiftly turning in to an expression of pure rage. She'd been right on all counts. This was _his_ room and she had made a terrible mistake…

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While Ahiru had been investigating the North Wing, Tier had been perched on the balustrade along the balcony outside his room for the past hour gazing across the castle grounds and along the bridge that was the sole link between castle and the rest of the world. His castle rested on an enormous – not to mention extremely tall – stone spire rising out of the middle of the gorge. The spire stood at the confluence of the two rivers that had carved out the massive gash in the earth over the past several million years. It was a pretty ingenious location for a castle as the only avenue for attack was the bridge connecting it to the northern rim.

Furthermore, the distance between stone pillar and canyon wall was so long that no siege weapon yet invented could clear the gap and inflict damage on the castle itself. The bridge was quite narrow and provided no convenient cover which didn't particularly lend it much appeal as a point of assault…and even to reach it attackers would have to breach the iron gates and massive defensive wall running along the canyon rim for a good mile on either side. Defenders had ample time to set up blockades along the bridge to slow any advance, plus the broad court of honor outside the actual castle doors was large enough for the inhabitants to set up their _own_ siege weapons…and focus them on the bridge itself. The entire set up had basically been engineered to turn the entire length of the bridge into one long kill zone. The end result was that no one had _ever_ breached the castle's defenses in its entire history.

Tier had been musing on how, in the end, it hadn't been an invading army to bring him down but a lone enchantress who took issue with his behavior. However, it had started to snow and he wasn't willing to stay sitting out in the cold if he didn't have to. The last thing he'd been expecting to find when he returned to _his_ room was Ahiru reaching out towards _his_ rose. His temper instantly snapped and he lunged forwards with a snarl to shove her back before she _broke something_. She'd cringed away well before he reached her and was moving away from the rose which suited him fine.

He carefully replaced the cover with a faint sigh of relief that her clumsiness hadn't kicked in before his fury returned in full force. "What the hell are you doing in here," he hissed as he slowly stalked towards the retreating young woman. "I'm sorry," Ahiru apologized as she continued backing away, "I…" "I told you the North Wing was off limits," Tier's voice started to register a faint hissing on the vowels as his eyes narrowed menacingly. "I know," the red-head's eyes were starting to fill with frightened tears, "I shouldn't have come up here. I didn't mean any harm! I was just so _curious..._ "

"You were curious," the scaled man repeated incredulously before he suddenly lunged forward causing the terrified girl to quack in fright as she tried to dodge, but tripped over a broken chair leg and sprawled helplessly backwards. She cringed, expecting to feel his claws slicing into her, but her fears were not to be realized. Ahiru quivered as he grabbed her arm and roughly pulled her to her feet. Unnoticed by either, though, he'd gripped her far more strongly than normal. His talons easily tore through the fabric of her blouse sleeve and dug just deep enough into the soft flesh below for blood to bead up around the puncture sites.

"Do you have any _idea_ ," the draconic humanoid's breath was hot on her face as he leaned in, "Of just how close you came to sealing the fates of _everyone_ in this castle!" "I'm sorry," the red-head sobbed in terror, "Please, stop!" Tier froze for a few seconds before he finally released her arm; the fear in her voice managed to pierce the red haze of his temper and the rational part of him _knew_ she needed to leave before he got any angrier. The blue-eyed girl stumbled and looked up at her enraged captor as he glared down at her furiously. "Get out," he hissed in a menacing whisper. Another sob escaped the terrified young woman's throat as she started to back away slowly once more. "Get out _now_ ," the beast-man snarled angrily as he flexed his taloned hands. The action only served to draw attention to how long and sharp they were. Ahiru quacked in fear and turned to flee as fast as she could as a final furious roar rang in her ears, "GET OUT!"

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Tier panted as his anger slowly started to drain out of him and clarity returned. "Damn it, I need her to _like_ me not be terrified of me…," he murmured in irritation, "I shouldn't have yelled… She definitely deserved to be told off for trespassing, but… I think I may have gone too far…" He raised a taloned hand to run though his mane out of sheer frustration when he got a glimpse of something odd. He paused and looked closer before a horrified gasp escaped him as he realized two of his talons had a few drops of her blood on them. "Oh God…," he groaned as he covered his face in dismay, "I…I hurt her… How could I have…? I didn't want to…" He shuddered and staggered backwards as the consequences of his actions started to sink in. There was no way she'd ever feel anything for him other than fear and loathing after this.

"I'm such an _idiot…_ ," he whispered as he fell to his knees with a despairing sigh, "I've ruined everything now… God, I…I never wanted to _hurt_ her…" Tier knew he should probably try to apologize, but he also knew she probably didn't even want to _look_ at him right now. Not after she'd seen him for the monster he truly was. He sat for a good five minutes wallowing in his guilt and self-loathing before his keen hearing picked up the faint whinny of a horse. There was only one horse in the vicinity of the castle, and for him to be able to hear it so clearly… The draconic humanoid surged to his feet and bolted out onto the balcony praying desperately that it wasn't what he thought it was. Unfortunately, his fears were confirmed. Ahiru had taken her horse out and was riding across the bridge as fast as she could… She was leaving.

The scaled man felt a thrill of fear surge through him. Not because she was leaving, but because she clearly had no idea just how much danger she was putting herself in by doing so. Tier _knew_ the local wolf pack was still hanging around the castle, _and_ that game had been so scarce lately that they were willing to attack _anything_ that was made of meat. Including people. Not to mention the snow was coming down thicker by the minute and the wind was starting to pick up. These signs indicated another storm was blowing in…and she would be caught out in it with the wolves.

"That idiot," he hissed as his wings flared agitatedly, "She's going to get herself killed. I can't…" 'I can't let her die,' he finished in his head as he tightened his grip on the balustrade, 'I have to go after her.' He flapped his wings once experimentally. He'd never actually tried to fly before, but…he may be able to glide and with the wind… Maybe he could catch up to her in time. He doubted she'd be in the mood to thank him even if he did save her, but…he didn't care. He didn't deserve thanks when it was his own damn fault she had been so frightened. So long as she was alive… "Please let this work," Tier prayed fervently before he launched himself off of the balcony and started to glide across the gorge.

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Ahiru had not even hesitated in her course of action after fleeing Tier's room. She made a beeline for the room he had given her, pulled her pack out from under her bed, and started to pack. Hermia gave her a concerned look as the young woman rushed about, "Ahiru? What's wrong?" "Can't stay," the red-head gasped out as she shoved the last of her clothes into the pack, "Too dangerous. Gonna kill me!" The wardrobe tried desperately to calm down the frightened girl, "Calm down. Who's going to kill you?" "Tier," the blue-eyed young woman gasped out as she grabbed her winter cloak, "Gotta leave. Sorry."

Before the pale brown and yellow wardrobe could say anything more the terrified young woman slung her cloak around her shoulders, picked up her pack, and bolted out of the room. Ahiru promptly made a beeline for the doors to the court of honor passing a startled Autor and Mytho on the way. "Ahiru," the candlestick's eyes widened in surprise, "Where are you going?!" "Away," the red-head replied as she choked back another frightened sob, "I can't stay here anymore! I'm sorry!" The clock froze and started to sputter, "Wait! You can't leave! You promised!" The frightened girl paused at the bottom of the stairs and shivered, "I know. I don't want to break my word, but…I really can't stay!"

She ran for the doors, threw them open, and darted outside before the stunned ornaments could react. "Oh, this is not good," Mytho moaned, "What could have scared her so badly that she would leave like that?" Autor huffed and brought a carved limb up to rub his 'face' in dismay, "In brief? The master's temper. I'd stake my life on it." "But he's been avoiding her for the past two weeks," the candlestick protested weakly. "Doesn't mean she couldn't have had a run in with him in a bad mood by accident," the clock sighed, "I should have _known_ this would never work…"

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The frightened red-head wasted no time in racing for the stables where Fafnir had been staying, and was just as quick about saddling him up. She led the horse out into the courtyard before pulling herself up into the saddle. "We're going home, Fafnir," she said shakily as she squeezed the gelding's sides firmly with her legs and flicked his reins. Responding to the signal, the loyal equine launched into a brisk canter along the bridge.

Soon enough they were across and racing down the road leading away from the castle. However, the swirling snow made navigation difficult and it didn't take long for the young woman to lose the road. She ended up directing the gelding down a game trail leading towards a small mountain lake, but didn't realize the error until they reached the shore. Ahiru started to turn the horse around when a chorus of howls sounded from nearby. She'd grown used to the sounds of the wolves in her two weeks at the castle as they often sang at night, but she'd never realized how chilling the sound could be up close. Fafnir was even more frightened than his rider and promptly bolted across the frozen surface of the lake.

The ice groaned ominously under their combined weight and several sharp cracking noises alerted the young woman that the ice was likely to give. She managed to steer the frightened gelding back towards shore before they went through, but only just barely. Matters soon worsened when the wolves ghosted out of the trees and started racing alongside the frightened horse with grim intent clear in their movements. They were _hungry_. The wolves were not about to miss out on a meal as large as Fafnir, and were hunting the horse.

Ahiru whimpered in fright as she realized just how much trouble they were in. The poor gelding was absolutely beside himself in terror at the sight of the wolves closing in and reared up in fright. The red-head yelped as she lost her grip and fell off. She expected the wolves to fall on her the second she was vulnerable, but they had different prey in mind. When she looked up she saw the pack closing in around her horse… It would be a far more filling meal than a single human, so they completely ignored her for the moment. The animal was trapped thanks to his reins getting caught in the overhanging branches of a nearby tree. The young woman might be afraid, but she wasn't about to let the loyal Fafnir die like this.

"Leave him alone," she screamed as she scrambled to her feet. The wolves continued ignoring her. Human mouth noises meant nothing to them. Furiously, the red-head grabbed a nearby branch, ran forwards, and slammed it into the side of the first wolf she came to as she shouted, "Go away!" The wolf yelped in pain and surprise at the blow and stumbled aside just far enough for her to pass through the closing ring. She determinedly took up position between the wolves and Fafnir with a scowl on her face. This the wolves took note of; this loud two-legged creature was between them and their food. That made her an obstacle.

The largest wolf – the pack's alpha not that she knew that – growled viciously making Ahiru shake in fear, but she swung the branch threateningly. "Get back," she yelled. The wolves were not impressed. The alpha wolf growled louder and lunged to grab the branch in his teeth catching the young woman off guard. Twisting its head sharply, the wolf ripped the branch out of her hands and dropped it at his feet with another growl. Another wolf darted in and slammed into her legs causing her to fall over. The young woman's eyes widened in terror as she realized she was completely helpless, but didn't look away from the hungry animals that were closing in. The large wolf lunged forwards – whether it was to attack her or Fafnir she didn't know – but didn't get far before a familiar winged figure dropped out of the sky and slammed the wolf into the ground.

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Tier hadn't hesitated for a second when he saw Ahiru surrounded by wolves through a break in the swirling snow. He immediately folded his wings and fell into a steep dive. He grunted slightly as he hit the wolf, but the pained yelp it let out assured him that the sudden impact had hurt it far more than it had him. The alpha wolf scrambled away as he stood up slowly and casually flicked his tail in disdain. "Touch her and die," the draconic humanoid snarled coldly. The other wolves all growled in response; not to his words, but to the fact that he was clearly another predator and they thought he was after their prey. The pack moved in with a new target in mind…the rival predator that had appeared.

The young woman scrambled backwards as her captor fought off the attacking wolves. His greater size and strength gave him a bit of an edge, but the wolves had numbers on their side. One of them managed to grab hold of the scaled man's wing and wrenched hard causing a pained cry to burst out as he stumbled to his knees; another pair of wolves joined in the attack on his now vulnerable appendage. Tier's tail proved to be remarkably flexible as it snapped up in response to coil around the wolf that had grabbed his wing and slung it away. He then whipped it back around to knock away the remaining wolves savaging the now mangled limb. Wincing at the pain in his crippled wing, he scrambled back to his feet. The rest of the pack would tear him apart if he remained in such a vulnerable position for any longer.

The wolves had backed away when their three pack-mates were flung away, yet soon resumed their attack. One female wolf darted in and sunk her teeth into his leg drawing a pained gasp before she was knocked away with a swipe of his claws. The wolves were excited by the scent of Tier's blood, and grew more and more bold. The draconic humanoid was soon covered in bleeding gashes torn open by their fangs. He was growing tired, but he refused to fall while Ahiru was still in danger. He knew he wouldn't be able to hold out much longer, though. His best chance would be to go after the pack's alpha. If they lost their leader there was a chance the pack would scatter. It was his – and his red-haired captive's – only hope.

After what felt like an eternity of fending off the attacking pack, the injured beast-man managed to catch the alpha wolf with a vicious blow from his talons that tore open a gaping wound in its side. The mortally wounded canine flew backwards and slammed into the frozen lake where it whined once weakly before going limp. The rest of the pack broke away in a chorus of frightened and pained yelps. This prey was just too dangerous for the pack to handle no matter how hungry they were. Tier sighed in relief that his gamble had paid off and looked over at where Ahiru was huddled up against Fafnir. "Are you…all right," he asked between gasps for air. The young woman nodded shakily and a tired smile flickered across his face as he whispered, "Good." The draconic humanoid then staggered, moaned, and collapsed limply into the snow as he passed out from the pain of his _many_ wounds.

Ahiru was stunned. Tier, the creature she was convinced hated her and wanted her dead, had just saved her life and now appeared to be severely injured as a result of his efforts. She didn't know what to think. In a daze, she stood and numbly freed Fafnir's reins from the branch they were tangled in before she hesitated and turned to look back. The young woman contemplated the unconscious form of her captor and the blood-stained snow around him.

It didn't feel right to just leave him there like that…and he had saved her life after all. Warily, she approached and, as she drew near, she could make out more of his injuries through the swirling snow. He was in bad shape. A deep wound ran across his torso diagonally that bled sluggishly in the cold, his left leg bore a massive gash from where the female wolf had ripped into him, and he was just covered in smaller gashes and bite wounds.

The worst injury, however, was his right wing which was a torn, mangled, and sagging mess. He was clearly still in pain in spite of being unconscious. The agonized grimace on his face made that clear, as did the pained, shallow gasps escaping him. Worse, from the way he was shivering…the cold was clearly getting to him. Ahiru chewed her lip nervously as she concluded that she definitely couldn't leave him like this. Not in his condition; he'd either freeze to death or bleed out long before he ever regained consciousness.

Ahiru removed her cloak and draped it over his body for warmth before she returned to Fafnir's side. The young woman then led the horse over to the unconscious man's side and coaxed the equine into kneeling. With great difficulty, she eventually managed to drape her captor's body across the gelding's back before coaxing the animal into standing once more. The red-head then clambered on so that she was sitting right behind Tier; that done, the girl directed the horse to retrace their steps and return to the castle.

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The storm made finding the way back difficult, but Fafnir's sense of smell enabled him to retrace their panicked flight. Besides, he didn't want to be out in this storm anymore with those _predators_ on the prowl. The sooner he got back to his nice, warm, and _safe_ stall in the stable the happier he'd be. Ahiru wasn't entirely certain how she'd get Tier back into the castle as she had barely been able to get him onto her horse. He was much taller than she was, and surprisingly heavy. Fortunately, by the time they got back the unconscious man had started to stir and moan faintly as he stared to wake up.

"Tier," the red-head asked warily as he started to wake up, "Can you hear me?" The scaled man only groaned quietly in response. He was still mostly out of it. "Tier," the young woman tried again, "I can't carry you inside so you're going to have to try to stand. I'll help you as much as I can." She then reached out and slid his limp form off of the gelding's back. To her relief he'd registered her words enough to try and stand shakily, but he was still leaning heavily on Fafnir just to remain upright. As she slid down herself, she realized his eyes were just barely opened wide enough for him to see and were glazed with pain.

The wounded beast-man didn't seem to fully realize she was even there. He was clearly wavering on the very edge of consciousness, and could easily pass back out again with little warning. Ahiru bit her lip in concern a she wrapped an arm around his lean waist and coaxed him into leaning on her before she guided him towards the castle doors. She had to get him inside before that happened! Tier's steps were unsteady and soft moans and gasps of pain escaped him with each move he made. However, they managed to make it inside before he collapsed a second time with one final moan of pain. "Someone help," the red-head screamed as she fell to her knees by his side. Ahiru was relieved to find that his breathing remained steady if still shallow. Further relief came when one of the taller servants responded to her cries: Johann the footman. He'd been turned into an ornate wooden coat-rack.

"Miss Ahiru, what happened," he asked as he hopped over. "Tier's hurt," the young woman replied as she brushed some of her captor turned savior's mane back from his face, "He got injured saving me from a pack of wolves. I can't carry him by myself and he really needs to have his wounds taken care of!" Johann bent over and took hold of an arm as he spoke, "I can help with that. There's a chaise longue in the parlor we can rest him on. Come on." Tier remained unconscious all throughout being moved, and being settled on the chaise. Johann then left to inform the other servants of their master's condition once he was settled.

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The reaction, upon learning of their master's condition, was instant. Raetsel hopped on the stove to provide hot water for cleaning his injuries. She then jumped onto the tea cart to be rushed to the parlor with a bowl and clean rags provided by Rue and her maids. Autor retrieved the castle's resident medic from the infirmary, much to her disapproval. However, she couldn't protest _too_ much considering she _was_ the med kit. The medic, named Agatha, guided the uncertain red-head through the initial stages of treating her master's wounds before calling the clock back to carry her back to her station. She had judged that the girl was competent enough to handle the rest on her own.

Ahiru made quick work of cleaning and treating the scaled man's injuries. Yet still he remained mostly unresponsive. In fact, it wasn't until the worried young woman pulled out the beast-man's damaged wing to try and tend to it that he awoke with an agonized cry. "Sorry," the red head yelped as she immediately released the mangled appendage, "I'm sorry. I was trying to fix it." Tier didn't respond immediately and only panted heavily for a few moments as he shivered from the pain radiating from his damaged wing. Slowly he opened his eyes and blinked in surprise as he noticed the bandages wrapped around his body before turning to stare at Ahiru in confusion.

'Did she do this,' he wondered, 'Why? I thought she hated me…' The young woman cowered slightly under the intense stare being fixed on her before she shoved her fear away, scowled back at him, and demanded, "Are you going to let me try to fix your wing or not?" Tier blinked in confusion before he shifted his gaze to his shredded wing and winced slightly. There was no way it was ever going to heal right, but there was no harm in letting her try. He sighed and murmured quietly, "Go ahead."

A pained hiss escaped him as she grabbed hold of the tattered appendage and gently extended it. "Sorry," she apologized again. The scaled man shook his head slightly before he replied tersely, "It's fine." His wing was in such bad shape that it was going to hurt no matter how careful the girl was. He could deal. Still, he couldn't hold back all of the pained noises that slipped out of him as she did her best to straighten out the broken bones in his wing and bandage it. It was a relief when she finished.

Ahiru sat back as she finished bandaging Tier's wing and looked down at him with an uncertain smile, "How does it feel?" "Sore," the scaled man answered with a faint wince, hesitated for a few moments, and then asked her quietly, "Why did you help me?" "Eh," the red-head jolted in surprise, "Well, it just seemed wrong to leave you in the snow after you'd gotten so badly injured saving me…" The draconic humanoid scoffed bitterly, "You realize you would have been free to return home to your father if you had." "It still would have been wrong," the young woman retorted stubbornly. "Even though you wouldn't have been in that situation if I hadn't lost my temper," he pointed out.

The blue-eyed girl reached up to fiddle with a strand of her hair before she replied, "I had been warned about setting you off right before I gave into my curiosity and started poking around in your quarters. I knew you had a temper, but I crossed the line anyways. It's more my fault than it is yours." "I could have just told you _why_ I wanted you to stay out of the North Wing the night you came here," Tier stated as he glanced back at her. "I don't think I would have registered it if you had," Ahiru admitted, "I was kind of in shock from everything changing so suddenly." "I could have locked the door to my room," the beast-man persisted. "I still would have poked around the rest of the North Wing though," the red-head countered, "So it's still partly my fault."

Tier sighed quietly before a bitterly amused smile crossed his face, "I suppose I can't deny that. I guess we're both to blame for this mess…" "I'm sorry for trespassing," the blue-eyed maiden apologized quietly after he trailed off, yet he did not respond. If anything he felt he owed her an apology far more than she owed him. All she'd done was poke around a bit. Whereas he'd terrified her so badly she'd fled and had drawn her blood in the process. He still felt terrible about that, but had no idea how to actually apologize for it. He wasn't very good at such things.

The two sat, or in the injured man's case reclined, in silence for a few moments before the draconic humanoid spoke once more. "How are your injuries," he asked her quietly. "Eh," the young woman blinked in confusion, "What injuries? I'm not hurt…" The scaled man partly rolled over to give his captive an incredulous look, "You seriously haven't noticed the cuts on your arm?!" Ahiru blinked again before she looked at her arms, "Eh? What cuts? I don't think the wolves ever touched me, and the snow cushioned my landing when I fell off of Fafnir earlier." Tier sighed and looked away, "Idiot. Not from that. My talons sliced into your arm when I grabbed you in my room. I didn't notice then because I was so angry, but after I calmed down I found blood on them. _Your_ blood."

The red-head looked down and rolled up the sleeve of her blouse on the arm he'd grabbed earlier to check. She tilted her head in contusion a she noticed the two puncture marks in her skin that were still slowly oozing, "Huh… I never noticed. They don't even hurt." Her captor sighed again before he ordered her firmly, "Help me up." The young woman blinked in surprise, but obliged. He grunted quietly as she rolled him over and helped him into a sitting position that didn't squish his bandaged wing. The draconic humanoid took a few deep breaths as he waited for the pain to fade before he looked over at his captive and held out a taloned hand, "Give me your arm."

Ahiru blinked again, but went along with his request. Once again she was taken off guard by how careful he was when touching her. It stood in stark contrast to how rough he'd been earlier. Tier intently examined the injuries his talons had left in her skin before he sighed in annoyance, "They may not hurt, but they still need to be treated, moron. You could get an infection." The young woman scowled up at him before trying to tug her arm free, "I'm not a moron!" The scaled man only tightened his grip slightly and held her in place as he continued to examine the injuries. She started to wonder if the reason he was so careful was because he'd always known how easy it would be for him to hurt her…and he didn't want that to happen. His behavior now certainly seemed to support that idea.

Finally, the scaled man acted. "Rue," he called firmly, "I know you're listening in. Get in here." The mahogany handled feather duster sashayed into the room with an annoyed scowl on her face, "What is it?" "Tell Raetsel I need a fresh bowl of warm water and some clean rags," he ordered firmly without looking up from the cuts on Ahiru's arm, "And fetch a fresh roll of bandages from Agatha!" The red-head stared at her captor in surprise as the feather duster swept back out of the room. Tier didn't meet her eyes as he explained quietly, "You cared for my wounds. It's only fair that I do the same for yours."

It was the closest thing to an actual apology he could come up with, and Tier figured it would at least show he regretted harming her. The two sat in silence until Raetsel's tea cart rolled in with a fresh bowl of steaming water and the other items her lord had requested. The draconic humanoid released the young woman's arm long enough for her to retrieve everything and set it nearby before he grabbed hold of it once more. Ahiru watched curiously as her captor carefully cleaned the cuts on her arm before bandaging them. Once he finished treating her injuries he released her once more and looked away.

Ahiru ran her hand across the bandages before she reached out and placed her hand on Tier's undamaged shoulder. "Thank you," she said softly. "I'm the one who caused those injuries in the first place," the scaled man scoffed quietly, "There's no need to thank me for tending to them." "Not for that," the red-head shook her head as he turned to look at her in confusion, "Though I am grateful. Thank you for saving my life." The beast-man's eyes widened in surprise as he stared at her for a few moments; then, to her amazement, his expression softened as he replied quietly, "You're welcome."

 **A/N:** This chapter did not want to be written… It took me a week to finish it. Admittedly, most of that was because I got sidelined by the other Princess Tutu fic I was working on. Yes, I was actually writing two stories at once. I normally only work on one at a time, but the inspiration is there and I am taking advantage of it. Thankfully, the other fic, The Knight's Tale, is finished and, as I re-edit this chapter, it is being posted. For those of you wondering what a chaise longue is…the best description I can give you is that it is sort of like a couch only different. They come in a lot of styles; type in an image search in Yahoo or Google if you don't believe me. Anyways, the version I am referencing looks like the one in the following image (2. bp. blogspot _R2K1cNRdTl8/ TKaCrldcPoI/ AAAAAAAAAl0/ EgZJbZxjW6A/ s1600/ victorian + mahogany + chaise + longue_1184444656. jpg) only my mental image has the fabric bit dark red instead of white. Blood stains don't show up as well on dark red…they blend. Only reason I know this is I get massive nosebleeds when the air gets too dry and I have a dark red shirt. Nosebleed happens, I bring sleeve up to nose to catch blood while I run to grab Kleenex or toilet paper to shove up there until it stops, and stains do not show up on the fabric. These experiences have also taught me that blood does not show up on black or dark blue either; does show up on dark green, though. And every other color.


	8. Growing Affection

**A/N:** And now we FINALLY get to the relationship building! I managed a little bit in KH Rebirth… I should be able to do this… I hope…. Hoo boy… Now I'm nervous. I freaking love this pairing and I am now absolutely terrified that I'm going to fail to do it justice… Well, all I can do is try my best and pray that it works. …Scared… Here goes nothing… Ah, and before I forget, I should explain something. I'm not going to bother describing Tier and Ahiru's clothing during this section or at all aside from the night he lets her go. Mostly because I'm lazy, and I figure I'll just have them wear the same things as in the _animated_ Disney version. Man, it's frustrating that I have to clarify that now… Anyways, just modify the mental image of Tier's clothes to accommodate his wings.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not, have not, and will never own any of the things I am using for this fic. This includes Princess Tutu and Beauty and the Beast (either version) which belong to their respective owners.

Chapter 7: Growing Affection

In the weeks since Tier saved her life, Ahiru and her savior started to develop an uneasy friendship. Early on, it mostly consisted of awkward conversations while the red-head changed the bandages on his injuries. "So," the young woman started hesitantly before trailing off as she unwound the bandages from his mangled wing. The scaled man scowled back at her, "What?" "Never mind," the blue-eyed girl demurred. "Just say it," the beast-man snapped irately, "I _hate_ it when people start talking to me and then suddenly cut themselves off!" "I was just wondering why you finally stopped avoiding me," she mumbled with a sheepish air. The draconic humanoid flinched slightly before replying with a sigh, "It was rude of me to do so in the first place. Besides, after how _that_ turned out," he gestured to the bandages covering his torso vaguely for emphasis before continuing, "I figured it would be for the best if I stopped acting like a coward." "But you aren't a coward at all," the blue-eyed maiden protested. The beast man scoffed and looked away before muttering bitterly, " _That's_ a matter of opinion…"

Ahiru really didn't have a response for that and continued her work in silence. After a while she started to sniffle quietly which made the dragon-like man stiffen and look back at her with an uneasy frown. "Why are you crying," the scaled man grumbled uncomfortably. "I can't help it," the red head admitted tearfully, "I just feel really bad about you being hurt because I was stupid." "While I'm not going to deny the 'stupid' bit, I am just as much to blame for what happened and you know it. We were _both_ stupid, so there is no reason for you to feel guilty," Tier reminded her with an exasperated sigh. "But," the red head started to protest before the dragon-like man held up a taloned hand and gave her a stern frown. "But nothing," Tier stated firmly, "I didn't _have_ to come after you, you know. I could have just let you leave, but I did not. Do you know why?" "Because I'm your prisoner," Ahiru mumbled unhappily.

"Wrong," the draconic humanoid shook his head sharply which drew a stunned look from the young woman yet and he explained further without hesitating, "It's because I didn't want you to get hurt or, worse, killed. I am responsible for the safety and well-being of everyone who resides in my castle. True, our deal means you _are_ my prisoner, but it also means that you are under my protection along with everyone else who lives here. If you are harmed on my watch, then it means I have failed in my self-appointed duty." Tier paused and smirked bitterly before continuing, "Of course, I had _already_ failed you once because of my damned temper. I refused to do so a second time. Not when there was something I knew I could do. I _chose_ to come after you. I _chose_ to fight those wolves. And, as far as I'm concerned, these injuries are a fair price to pay for my earlier mistake."

Ahiru sputtered wordlessly for a few moments before finally exclaiming, "But you could have _died_! All because I was too curious for my own good! How could you possibly consider that to be a fair price?!" "I have my reasons," the scaled man shrugged and winced faintly as the action jolted his injured wing. He wasn't about to explain the curse he was under and the consequences for if he failed to fulfill the requirements for breaking it in time. She was upset enough as it was already. "They must be pretty strange reasons," the red-head grumbled. "You have _no_ idea," Tier quipped with a bitterly amused smirk before sighing and shaking his head.

"Look," he explained gently, "The point I am trying to get at is that I don't want you to cry for my sake _especially_ when there is no need for tears. I already have a long list of things that I regret as it is.I don't need to add making you cry needlessly as well…" The blue-eyed maiden gaped at her captor in surprise before stammering apologetically, "I…I didn't know… I was making you feel bad too… I'm sorry…" "Don't apologize. You had no way of knowing," the dragon-like man countered with a faint smirk, "We're still practically strangers even after living in the same household for several weeks. I'm not about to hold something like that against you, but I also couldn't let you remain ignorant of what this pity party of yours was doing to me. That wouldn't be fair to either of us. Just…try not to cry over what happened to me anymore, all right?" "Okay," Ahiru agreed with a cautious smile, "I'll try."

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As time passed, and his injuries mended, it became apparent he was going to have a few lingering reminders. For one, his right wing was permanently crippled by nerve damage sustained in the trip back to the castle. The broken bones in his wing had sheared through several minor, yet still significant, nerve groups while he was being moved. Tier would never be able to use his wing again, but he wasn't too upset by this revelation. "Better a wing than an arm or leg," the scaled man dryly commented. "Still…," the red head mumbled, "I feel bad about it…" "Why," the draconic humanoid shot her a bemused look, "I already told you it doesn't bother me to have a bad wing. The scars are more irritating."

Specifically, he was referring to the massive scar that now ran diagonally across his torso. The blue-eyed young woman kept staring at it and it made him feel a bit embarrassed to have her pay that much attention to him. "Well…," the freckled maiden looked down shamefully as guilty tears started to well up in her eyes, "You won't be able to fly anymore…." "I only flew the one time," the dragon-like man pointed out, "And I was more focused on finding you before you got yourself killed than I was on the actual experience. Maybe if I actually _cared_ about flying there'd be a reason for you to be upset on my behalf, but that isn't the case. Stop being a moron and just let it go." "I'm not a moron," Ahiru grumbled with an annoyed pout before sighing and giving him a teary-eyed smile, "I'll try not to dwell on it as much, okay?"

"Very well," Tier agreed before reaching out to brush away her tears with his knuckle and scowling in annoyance, "Not again… I thought I told you I didn't want you shedding tears over this." "Sorry," the blue eyed young woman scratched her head sheepishly, "I am trying. It's just really hard…" "You are so pathetic," he sighed which prompted yet another annoyed pout from his captive before he continued, "But I suppose I shouldn't complain too much. I can't remember the last time someone other than my servants cared enough about me to cry because I got hurt." The red-head gaped in surprise at this admission before her face fell as she remembered Raetsel and Hermia telling her on her first night in the castle that they and the rest of the staff had been the dragon-like man's only companions for years. Much like back then, it struck her that her captor was a very lonely person. "Well, I'm here now," Ahiru pointed out with a cautious smile, "And I can be a bit emotional. So you may just have to get used to it." Tier blinked at her in shock before shaking his head with a mildly amused smirk on his face, "You're a strange girl…"

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After his injuries healed, Tier was startled to find the young woman continued to seek him out in order to talk. True, their conversations had become less awkward over time, but he'd never realized that she'd actually enjoyed them enough to want them to continue. It was during one of these later conversations that he learned a bit more about his captive and her hometown. "So what do you do for fun," she asked him curiously. The dark-scaled man blinked in confusion at the sudden question before thinking about it for a few moments. "These days I mostly read," he finally admitted, "I used to have other hobbies, but…" He trailed off and shrugged before finishing dryly, "This body makes certain activities extremely awkward." The red-head abruptly turned toward to face the draconic humanoid and started studying him intently. He was incredibly grateful that scales didn't show when he was blushing because his face was burning fiercely at her sudden attention to his appearance.

"I can see how the wings and tail would maybe get in the way sometimes," Ahiru observed finally as she looked up to meet his gaze, "And your talons are really long. I know how hard it is to do certain tasks with long fingernails. Is it kind of like that?" "I suppose," Tier mused before abruptly shifting the focus of their conversation away from himself, "What about you? What sort of hobbies do you enjoy?" "Um," the red-head hummed thoughtfully, "I guess I mostly explore the castle and its grounds these days. Also I talk to my friends. I did other things when I was living in Grünefelder though." "That's one of the valley villages to the southwest, right," Tier inquired curiously. "Mm-hm," Ahiru nodded. "I imagine it was pretty quiet there," the dragon-like man mused aloud. "Well, yeah," the red-head agreed, "The village isn't large enough for the nobles to squabble over, so we were probably luckier than some of the others in the area."

A displeased scowl flickered across Tier's face as the blue-eyed maiden continued, "I remember my father and some of the other older residents used to gripe about paying taxes to the local nobility when they spent more time squabbling with each other than dealing with law and order and things. Actually, I think Pike's parents complained about it the most. They'd get really indignant about it. I mean, we all ended up paying anyways since it would only make them come after us if we didn't. Still, it made some of the adults annoyed for a while. Pike's family are the only ones who make a fuss about it these days though." The draconic humanoid let out an annoyed hiss that made Ahiru flinch a bit. He winced at that and apologized for scaring her before explaining, "I'm just irritated by those nobles of yours. Just because they've been left to their own devices for the past ten years doesn't give them the right to neglect their duties to their people."

"That's pretty much what Mr. and Mrs. Falkenrath would say," the red-head admitted with a laugh. Tier tilted his head to the side as an unreadable expression flickered across his face, "Falkenrath?" "Pike's parents," Ahiru explained, "Pike Falkenrath has been my best friend since we were both little. She'd always be there when I needed her and tried to encourage me in her own way." That drew another inquisitive look from the dragon-like man and the maiden explained further, "She used to be more of a tough love sort when it came to being supportive. It used to make me even more upset when she'd criticize my clumsiness or lack of confidence and insist I just needed to try harder to be better. I always knew she meant well, but...it still hurt. She's mellowed a lot over the years, though. Now she just tells me how much better I've gotten since we were younger and encourages me to focus on what I do _right._ She looks out for me a lot. I'm…not much of a fighter, but Pike… I think she'd go head to head with an angry bear if she had to."

"This Pike sounds like she really cares about you," the dragon-like man observed quietly. "Of course," the red-head exclaimed, "I care about her too! That's why we're best friends!" Tier was silent as a sad look flickered across the young woman's face before she continued speaking. "Pike and I did a lot together. We'd make flower chains in the spring and summer and dry them to use as decoration for the rest of the year," Ahiru reflected wistfully, "We'd go horseback riding sometimes, though I'm not the best horsewoman. Oh, and Pike and I both took ballet lessons from Herr Katzenhaft!" "You were learning ballet," the beast-man inquired with a surprised look.

"I was," the freckled maiden nodded before flushing in embarrassment, "Actually, I haven't stopped practicing since I came here. Only…um…I kind of trip over things a lot when I practice in my room…and Autor snaps at me when I try to practice in the library…and I get weird looks from some of the servants when I try to practice in the great hall or dining room…and it's too cold and snowy to practice outside… It hasn't been easy, but Herr Katzenhaft would never let me live it down if he learned I'd stopped. He was always harping on us about how important practice was to mastering ballet…" Tier gazed at her thoughtfully as she trailed off before quietly inquiring, "What is it you enjoyed the most about studying ballet?" Ahiru blinked in surprise at his soft question but didn't hesitate to answer, "It's really fun! I loved learning new forms and mimes! Plus it was something Pike and I could enjoy together as friends! That and she always said it did a lot for my balance. I used to be even clumsier when I was younger, believe it or not. Ballet helped me improve on that."

Tier's thoughtful expression had not changed as she spoke and he excused himself not long after she finished. He had been surprised to learn he had an interest in common with his captive, and it was making him think. It had been years since he had practiced ballet himself and he honestly missed it a lot. That she was persisting in spite of the fact that she couldn't find a good place to practice in was admirable, yet it occurred to him that he could solve her problem entirely with a simple act. 'I want to do something for her to repay the kindness she's shown me,' he admitted to himself as he headed for the North Wing with purpose, 'And now I have an idea of what it is I can do. I just need to make sure the room I'm thinking of hasn't suffered _too_ badly from neglect first…' The scaled man soon reached his destination and pulled a ring of keys out of his belt pouch. He delicately sorted through them until he found the correct key and unlocked the door in front of him. The room beyond was absolutely covered in dust and cobwebs, but was otherwise pristine. All that would need to be done to return it to a functional state was have it cleaned. Tier smiled faintly in satisfaction before closing the door and heading down to the kitchen to find Rue. He had a job for her and the rest of the cleaning staff.

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Upon tracking down the mahogany feather duster and instructing her that he wanted the room cleaned Tier ran into a bit of a problem. Rue was not particularly eager to clean the long abandoned room when she knew exactly why it had been abandoned in the first place. She refused to waste her time and bluntly told him as much. It wasn't until he explained _why_ he wanted that room cleaned that she relented. "It's for Ahiru," she asked in surprise, "Why?" "In spite of everything I've done," the draconic humanoid pointed out wryly, "Ahiru still doesn't hate me. I'm…grateful for that, and I want to do something for her to express that. I didn't know what I _could_ do until she mentioned how much she enjoyed practicing ballet. If I can give her a suitable space to practice in…"

The black-feathered cleaning implement smiled understandingly before her eyes glinted in mischief, "I see. Well, it's a start at least." "Wait," Tier blinked in confusion, "What?" Yet Rue had already left to gather the rest of her staff. The scaled man stared after her uneasily as he muttered, "I hate when she acts all mysterious. It makes me nervous…" He shuddered as he recalled some of the incidents that had followed when this particular servant had acted similarly in the past. No, nothing good came of _that girl_ being cryptic or vague. "The worst part is that whenever I try to work out whatever she's up to," he sighed morosely as he walked away, "It only ends up making matters even worse. Damn it…" Unbeknownst to the now deeply worried beast-man, the feather duster's intentions were purely benevolent for once. She just enjoyed messing with his head too much to let on.

While Rue and her underlings set about the task they had been given, Mytho and Autor stopped in for an update on how their master's behavior was changing. "So the reason he wants this room cleaned is because he's giving it to Ahiru," the candelabra summed up thoughtfully before a broad smile broke out over his face, "That _is_ progress." "But will he build on it," the clock fretted, "The rose is steadily deteriorating and he really can't afford to take things slow." "Ahiru's already had a positive effect on him," the feather duster observed as she directed her staff about their tasks, "Have you noticed that he isn't as reclusive these days?"

The feather duster grinned in amusement as she continued, "Plus Hermia thinks it's only a matter of time before she starts pressuring him to start dressing properly. It's not as though Madame Koza _hasn't_ been willing to modify his wardrobe to accommodate his changed form for years now. Or that the two of them haven't been hinting at the girl to do something about his habit of only wearing that tatty old loincloth." Mytho hummed thoughtfully as he brought one of his brackets up to his wrought brass chin, "I have to admit I was starting to fear he'd given up on hanging on to his humanity when he started wearing that thing. I know for a fact it doesn't do much for protecting him from the elements. I've seen him shivering while walking the gardens this time of year…though only when he thinks he's alone." "That is all well and good," Autor sighed, "But will any of this actually help them to fall in love with each other?" "You can't force love," Rue pointed out, "Nor is it something that can be rushed. We just have to hold onto hope and be patient."

Reluctantly, the timepiece accepted her reasoning before excusing himself to check up on how dinner was coming along. "He really is worried about this isn't he," the mahogany handled cleaning implement mused as she glanced at her fiancé. "He's not the only one," the candle-holder admitted with a sad smile, "I'm worried as well, but I have chosen not to dwell on my concerns. Instead, I intend to focus my efforts on smoothing matters along as much as possible." "Perhaps I should start doing so as well," the feather duster admitted with a slightly guilty look, "I've been either teasing him or treating him like an unruly sibling…" "To be fair," Mytho laughed lightly, "His highness can be a bit obstinate, and we _did_ all grow up together."

Rue had to admit the candelabra had a point; their parents had been the ones to raise their lord after his parents died, and so the younger generation of staff had all grown up seeing their future master as a brother. He'd returned the sentiment as much as he was able, but the trauma of losing his parents _did_ have an effect on his demeanor. It was yet another part of why they were in their current situation. "I hope he really can earn Ahiru's love," the mahogany-handled duster sighed sadly, "He doesn't deserve to suffer like this, and he _certainly_ doesn't deserve the fate that awaits him if he fails. He _is_ capable of loving and being loved. I know this! He just needs to realize it for himself!" "Agreed," Mytho nodded in firm agreement, "It's up to us to show him!" The two enchanted servants met each other's gazes seriously and jointly resolved to do what they could to help Tier break the spell they were all under. He shouldn't have to struggle alone.

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The day after he'd made his request to Rue, Hermia's prediction came to pass and Ahiru confronted Tier over his minimal clothing, though not for the reasons the staff had in mind. "Don't you get cold just wearing that loincloth all the time," she asked him. "A little, I guess," the scaled man admitted indifferently, "Why?" "Aren't you worried about getting sick," the red-haired maiden fretted with a worried frown. The draconic humanoid didn't really get sick that often and stated as much, but the young woman refused to let the matter go. She spent the rest of the day bothering him about it before he finally snapped at her. "What the hell is it you want from me," he demanded. "I just want you to try wearing actual clothes at least until it warms up again," the blue-eyed young woman smiled uncertainly before she started to explain her thoughts at a rapid pace, "I know it'd be tricky to manage with the wings and tail and all, but I worry and I don't want you to get sick and Madame Koza said she could fix up something for you to wear so it's not like we can't get you clothes that would work and…uh…and…um… Please?"

Tier stared at his captive for a few moments in disbelief over how fast the girl could talk; all he'd caught was the please at the end. He asked her to repeat herself more slowly, and sighed in resignation once she finished. "There's no reason for you to worry about me," he grumbled and ran a talon through his mane before continuing reluctantly, "But if it will make you feel better I suppose I could try. I reserve the right to gloat if Madame Koza can't pull it off, though. There's a _reason_ I don't wear clothes." Unfortunately for the dragon-like man, Madame Koza – a dressmaker's dummy – was more than capable of directing her more dexterous apprentices about the task of fixing up a functional wardrobe for her lord. Ahiru was elated the first time she saw her captor wearing one of his new outfits and told him she thought it made him look rather dashing. Tier's face had heated up in embarrassment, but he thanked her for the compliment.

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The next day Rue and her staff finished getting the room in the North Wing fixed up. The feather duster promptly sought out her lord and told him it was ready. The scaled man thanked her and immediately set out to find the red-head. "Ahiru," he called softly as he spotted her chatting with Uzura, "There's something I want to show you." The blue-eyed maiden looked at him curiously as she stood, "What is it?" "It's a surprise," the draconic humanoid replied with a faint smile before holding out a taloned hand, "Come." The young woman looked a bit puzzled, but took his hand and followed as he led her towards the North Wing. "I thought I wasn't allowed up there," she protested uneasily as she realized where they were headed. "So long as you don't intrude in my chambers again without permission," the beast-man informed her, "I'm willing to waive that restriction."

Eventually, he brought her to one of the locked doors she'd noticed on her unauthorized exploration. Tier unhooked his key ring from the belt he now wore before turning to her with a stern look on his face. "Please close your eyes and keep them shut until I tell you otherwise," he requested formally and offered her a faint smile as he continued, "It's part of the surprise." Ahiru looked up at him uncertainly for a few seconds but did as he asked. Once he was sure she couldn't see, the dragon-like man opened the door, grasped her lightly by the wrists, and led her into the room. It was quite dim as the walls were covered in vibrant blue velvet curtains covered in gold embroidery.

Once he led the maiden to the middle of the room, Tier released her wrists and moved over to the curtains covering the far wall. "Can I open my eyes yet," Ahiru asked after he let go. "Not yet," the beast-man replied lightly. He reached out and grasped a cord hanging from one of the curtains and pulled it firmly. Slowly, the curtains rose to reveal the entire wall was covered in clear glass panels effectively making it one large window. He continued to move around the room and raised all the curtains covering the walls to reveal the massive mirrors that took up most of the surface. The light shining in through the window now reflected off of the mirrors to illuminate the room more brightly than any other in the castle. "All right," the dragon-like man murmured with a soft smile once he raised the final curtain and turned to face the young woman standing in the middle of the room, "You can look now."

The red-head opened her eyes and gaped in amazement as she beheld the finest ballet studio she had ever seen. The floor was covered in pale blue-grey tile that fit together so snugly she doubted you could fit a knife through the gaps. The mirrors almost entirely covered three of the four walls with the fourth being occupied by the massive window that illuminated the room. What wasn't covered by mirrors was paneled with white birch embossed with carven crowns covered in gold leaf. The barre's along the opposing walls were carved from a rich dark wood, she wasn't sure what kind, that contrasted nicely with the pale wood of the walls and were held in place by gold-plated support brackets. Yet what drew her attention the most was the dome-like ceiling which bore a beautiful painting of a white swan with her wings spread wide open and her head raised high and a black swan that mirrored her position. The two birds looked as though they were dancing around the sun in the heart of the painting and peeking out from behind the sun was a proud looking eagle. All she could see was its head and its spread wings, but she got a feeling of protectiveness from it.

"This is amazing," Ahiru breathed weakly as her knees buckled in awe of the grandeur of the room, "Is this what you wanted to show me?" "Do you like it," Tier asked quietly with a soft smile. "I love it," the red-head admitted breathlessly, "It's the most beautiful ballet studio I've ever seen." "It's yours," he told her flatly and his smile broadened slightly at the wide-eyed look she turned on him. "What," she gasped in disbelief, "This room is… Why?!" "You needed a place you could practice ballet," the scaled man shrugged as he ran a taloned hand lightly along the barre next to him with a wistful look on his face, "And I haven't used this room in years. It was covered in dust… It seemed like such a waste, so I turn it over to you now."

"B-but why is there even a room like this in the castle," the blue-eyed maiden stammered, "Do castles normally have ballet studios?" "Not usually," the dragon-like man admitted, "But I used to love practicing ballet so much that my servants refurbished it so I could practice someplace _other_ than the ballroom." "You studied ballet, too," Ahiru inquired as she stared at her captor in wide-eyed amazement. "Once, yes," Tier replied with a melancholy look down at his talons, "Before I became like _this_ …" The young woman was startled by this hint that the draconic humanoid may not have always looked the way he did now.

"What happened," she asked sympathetically. The beast-man flinched slightly before he confessed in a low murmur, "I made a terrible mistake…and as a result I and everyone else who lived in this castle were transformed ten years ago. If it had just been me, it wouldn't have mattered seeing as I was the one who erred. Yet my servants were entirely innocent… They shouldn't bear this punishment as well…" After a slight hesitation Tier continued to speak, "After I recovered from the shock of the transformation I tried to get used to my new body. I soon learned that it carried a number of limitations. My talons make fine manipulation of tools next to impossible. I can't write, I can't use silverware, doorknobs are a struggle to use, I can't do up the buttons on my clothing, and I can't really use a hair brush. Not that one would be able to get through my mane anyways… I swear it eats the damned things…"

The dragon like man sighed quietly before resuming his explanation, "Anyways, my wings and tail made balance difficult for a while until I got used to the extra appendages. But the biggest issue was my feet. The talons made practicing ballet so much of a hassle that I stopped enjoying it. I had to give it up…even though it was easily my favorite hobby… If I could have I would have taken it up professionally, but…it was never an option for me…"Ahiru felt heartbroken by the growing despair in her captor's voice. Tier clearly desperately missed practicing ballet himself, and she started to wonder if the reason the room had been locked was so that he wasn't reminded of what he had lost. It made his gift all the more meaningful because he was subjecting himself to those painful memories just to make her happy.

The red-head slowly walked over as his explanation started to draw to a close and she reached him just as he finished speaking. She then impulsively reached out and wrapped her arms around his torso in a tight hug. "I'm so sorry," the blue-eyed maiden whispered as she buried her face in the soft fabric of his shirt, "I wish I could do something to help…" The beast-man hesitated for a few moments before he gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders and returned her hug. "You idiot, there's nothing for you to be sorry for," he murmured back kindly, "but thanks for caring…"

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Unknown to the pair of them, their interactions had been being closely observed by several of Tier's servants. "He's hugging her," Rue exclaimed quietly as she cuddled up to her fiancé, "He's hugging her!" "I know," Mytho murmured back gleefully, "This is great! They may end up falling for each other before it's too late after all!" "Falling-zura? I don't get it-zura," Uzura blinked in confusion. "It's good to see his lordship has finally started to open up around her," Raetsel sighed in relief, "She needs to learn to know the real him…" "I will admit this has turned out better than I expected," Autor murmured as he fiddled with the clock face in his chest and smiled softly, "I look forward to further developments in their relationship…" "Huh," the little teacup wondered as she looked up at the older servants, "What relationship-zura?"

"You don't need to mask how relieved you are around us, Autor," the candelabra quipped dryly, "We all feel it." "Not all of us wear their hearts on their sleeves," the clock retorted, " _Some_ of us like to maintain a proper air of decorum." "If you are implying that I am too relaxed about my behavior," the candleholder replied in an even drier tone, "I would like to point out that just because I am not chronically repressed like _you_ are doesn't mean I lack the ability to behave as my station demands. I do my job and do it well. I just also happen to know how to enjoy myself in the process." "I am _not_ chronically repressed," the timepiece snapped back.

"Men," Rue sighed tolerantly with a commiserating look at Raetsel. "They can be quite foolish," the teapot agreed. "I'm confused-zura," Uzura whined petulantly, "Auntie Raetsel!" "Mytho and Autor are just being silly again," the feather duster informed the little teacup kindly. "Not about that-zura," the blue-eyed teacup protested, "About before-zura! Ahiru and Princey were just standing-zura! They weren't falling at all! And what relationship was he talking about-zura?" "I'll explain later," the larger piece of crockery soothed her niece, "Now we should all get back to work, don't you agree Autor?" "Huh," Autor blinked breaking the angry stare-down he'd been locked into against Mytho before turning to look at the older servant, "Ah, yes. Quite right. We should go." The four older servants hustled away from the door to the ballet studio to go about their business, but the little teacup continued to pester her aunt for an explanation about what they had been talking about.

"I want to know-zura," she demanded as the teapot hustled her down the hall towards the kitchens. "I'm sure you do," Raetsel replied, "And I promise I will explain it to you _after_ you finish the rest of your chores. You haven't been doing them lately." "Chores are boring-zura," Uzura grumbled, "I like talking to Ahiru more-zura!" "Be that as it may, you have to do them," the larger piece of crockery scolded gently, "I'm sure Ahiru would be disappointed to hear you've been a bad girl just so you can spend time with her. It would make her very sad." "I don't want Ahiru to be sad-zura," the blue-eyed teacup whimpered guiltily before looking up at her aunt, "And if I do my chores you'll tell me what you were talking about-zura?" "That's right," the teapot nodded. The little teacup suddenly darted ahead eagerly with a gleeful cry. She now had a _reason_ to do her chores and was in a hurry to get them all done. She _really_ wanted to know.

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After the gift of the ballet studio, Ahiru and her captor were gradually able to admit that they had become friends. It had come as a bit of a shock to Tier as he hadn't expected to enjoy her company as much as he did, and he could scarcely believe that she liked him back. The red-head was no less amazed when she realized just how fond she had become of the dragon-like man. She had come to realize that the flashes of kindness he had displayed when she had first arrived in the castle were the _real_ him and not the cold, cruel act he had put on. He was still quite prickly and often shut down when she asked about things he wasn't willing to talk about. Yet he was a good listener and was surprisingly tolerant of her more childish tendencies.

One day she decided to try inviting him to feed the birds on the castle grounds with her. Tier looked over the top of the book he was reading silently for a few moments before he sighed and muttered, "I _am_ trying to read, you idiot…" She huffed indignantly and was about to tell him off, when he abruptly got up and started to walk out of the room. "Where are you going," she demanded. "If we're going outside I'm going to want to grab the winter cloak Madame Koza made for me," he replied drily, "Since it worries you when I go around underdressed for the weather." She gaped after him in surprise before a bright smile crossed her face.

Once he met up with her again and they went out into the gardens to start scattering birdseed the blue-eyed maiden got a second surprise. The local birds turned out to be unusually unconcerned by the scaled man's presence and even perched on his good wing without fear. "I used to come out and feed them a lot when I was younger," Tier explained with a smug smirk, "And still do from time to time. They know I'm not going to hurt them." "You could have told me," Ahiru grumbled as she scattered even more birdseed on the ground; much to the joy of the other birds. "And miss that wide-eyed look you get when you are confused or surprised," he replied teasingly, "I think not."

The red-head sulked for a little before deciding to get a bit of payback and scooped up a handful of snow. She swiftly sculpted the handful into a snowball and chucked it at the back of the beast-man's head as he continued to feed his own flock of birds. He yelped in surprise when the snowball hit, and then turned to stare at her incredulously. "Did you just throw a snowball at me," he demanded with a raised brow ridge. "You were teasing me," the young woman replied as she stuck out her tongue. The dragon-like man smiled faintly in amusement before a devious smirk broke out across his face, "Of course, you realize, this means war." It didn't take much longer for a full blown snowball fight to break out between the two of them which naturally sent the birds flying away in protest. Tier was extremely agile, which she vaguely recalled noticing during the fight with the wolves, and was surprisingly hard to hit in spite of how tall he was. He also had very good aim. Ahiru would have been in trouble if it weren't for the fact that she was nearly as agile and was much smaller which made her a harder target to hit. They each missed more often than not, but they didn't really care. They were having fun.

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Eventually, the cold got to them and they declared the snowball fight a draw after bickering over who won for a few minutes. That settled, the pair headed in to warm up. "That was probably the most fun I've had in years," Tier admitted as they relaxed in the parlor with the cups of hot tea Raetsel had prepared for them. "Really," Ahiru stared at her captor-turned-friend in surprise. "Mm," the scaled man nodded as he sipped his tea before explaining, "I think the last time I had an actual snowball fight I was maybe ten or so." "Why," the red-head asked curiously, "I'm sure some of your servants would have been willing to join in." "They were," he replied with a faint grin before sighing in resignation, "But I didn't always have the freedom to do what I wanted as I got older. There were all these expectations I had to live up to and proper standards of behavior I had to maintain. Snowball fights were considered 'beneath my station', so I had to stop even though I always enjoyed them. I suppose that's one of the upsides to my being turned into a monster. No one expects me to be something I'm not anymore…"

"Why did you have to worry about propriety and things though," the blue-eyed maiden pressed, "Were you a noble?" "Something like that," Tier laughed softly before a melancholy look crossed his face, "I was pretty miserable back then. Ballet and writing were about the only things that cheered me up. Then I became like this and I was even _more_ miserable because of the guilt for what my actions had caused. I couldn't write anymore because my talons make it impossible to use a quill without shredding it, and you already know why I had to give up ballet. I didn't have anything to keep me from sinking into a state of despair anymore." Ahiru bit her lip in distress at this admission before another soft laugh escaped her dragon-like friend and he looked over at her with a soft smile on his face. "Then you came along and I gradually started to enjoy life again," he told her kindly, "I can never thank you enough for that." The red-haired young woman beamed back at the scaled man, "You're welcome! I'm glad I was able to help!" Tier suddenly realized that he really liked seeing her smile at him and resolved to do what he could to make her smile more often.

"So how has your ballet practice been going," he inquired as he changed the subject, "It's been a month now since I turned over my old ballet studio." "Pretty good," the blue-eyed girl admitted before she sighed, "Though I feel like I'm getting rusty in some areas…" "Like what," the draconic humanoid asked with a concerned frown. "Dancing with a partner," the maiden replied with a sheepish look, "I can't really dance a pas de deux on my own without hurting myself in the process. Some of the movements really require a partner's support." The beast-man frowned thoughtfully as he considered her problem. None of his servants really possessed a shape that was suitable for practicing ballet. The closest was Johann the footman, but he couldn't really dance since his form lacked legs. The more he thought about it the more he realized there was only one person in the entire castle who could fill in as her partner.

"If you don't mind," Tier offered hesitantly, "I could help with that." "Eh," Ahiru squawked in shock. "I'm really out of practice," the scaled man continued as he looked away in embarrassment, "And my body makes dancing alone incredibly awkward, but I should be able to manage a pas de deux. Hopefully I can keep my damned tail out of the way…" He was starting to wonder if he had made a mistake by offering to be her partner because she was silent for a full minute as she processed his words. Then she laughed happily, dropped her empty teacup, and launched herself forward to hug him tightly in sheer gratitude. "Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you," she gushed. Yet again, the beast man was grateful his scales didn't show when he was blushing because his face was on _fire_. "Uh…Y-you're welcome," he stammered.

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The red-haired maiden had already practiced her solo forms for several hours that day, and after the snowball fight she was even more tired out. Their first pas de deux practice ended up being put off until the next day which, unfortunately, gave Tier more than enough time to start having second thoughts. He could trip her with his tail! His talons could injure her again if he wasn't careful enough! He could knock her over with his good wing! There were so many things that could go wrong… The scaled man had already offered, though, and it would be rude of him to take it back without at least trying to explain why he thought it was a bad idea. He stopped by her room the next morning with every intention to tell her that he'd changed his mind and why only to learn from Hermia that she had already left for the ballet studio. The dragon-like man groaned quietly at that before leaving to go find her. He arrived at the room and opened the door. Yet when he started to call out to her his voice caught in his throat as he caught sight of the young woman.

Ahiru had already warmed up and was practicing her solo forms in the leotard Madame Koza had made for her while she waited. The dragon-like man was instantly captivated by her dancing. 'How can someone so clumsy be such a graceful dancer,' Tier wondered dazedly as the blue-eyed young woman continued to dance in blissful unawareness of her audience. He eventually managed to tear his eyes away and shut the door before turning and leaning up against its surface. The stunned man ran a taloned hand through his mane and swallowed hard as he admitted to himself that he didn't think he was going to be able to retract his offer after all. She'd had such a broad smile on her face and looked so very content that the thought of that contentment turning to disappointment turned his stomach. The scaled man was just going to have to do his best to be very, _very_ careful when they danced. He was stubbornly denying the real reason he was going through with this whole thing, though.

Tier left to get changed into the ballet clothes Madame Koza had modified for him before returning to the ballet studio. This time, when he opened the door, Ahiru was facing the door and her face absolutely lit up in joy when she saw him. "You came," she exclaimed happily. "Yeah," the draconic humanoid replied quietly as he shut the door behind him. "Do you need time to warm up," she asked as he walked over to where she was standing. "Probably," the scaled man mused as he looked down at her slight form. The red-haired ballerina led her captor-turned-friend over to the barre before smiling up at him, "I'm going to practice my basic forms while you're warming up. Just let me know when you're done and we can get started on practicing the pas de deux routines I know." "Okay," her dragon-like friend nodded before eyeing the barre and his talons uneasily. He really wasn't looking forward to this, but he couldn't back out now. The scaled man hesitated a few moments longer before starting to stretch. Occasionally, he would catch glimpses of the blue-eyed young woman as she ran through her drills and he would grit his teeth as he forced himself to stay focused. It wasn't easy. His eyes just seemed to be drawn to her and she was turning into a major distraction. 'Why can I not stop _staring_ at this girl,' he grumbled internally as he gradually worked through his warm-up routine.

Eventually, he finished warming up and stepped away from the barre drawing Ahiru's attention. "Oh," she blinked as she released the position she was holding and turned to face her dragon-like friend, "Are you ready to start now?" "Ready as I'll ever be," Tier quipped dryly before he sighed and pointed out, "You realize this is dangerous, right? I could seriously hurt you if I make a mistake." "I trust you," the red-head beamed causing the beast-man's face to heat up yet again. The pas de deux the blue-eyed young woman wanted to practice was a fairly basic one. "I'm not very good at these," she admitted with an embarrassed laugh, "So I figure I should keep it simple." "That's fine," the scaled man shrugged before holding out a taloned hand, "Shall we begin?"

The freckled maiden nodded and smiled brightly as she took his hand before they started to dance. In all honesty, the draconic humanoid was grateful that the routine she had chosen was so simple considering how out of practice he was. Initially, he was more focused on keeping his extra appendages out of the way and not holding the young woman too tightly when he was required to lift her. Yet, gradually, he started to relax and soon began to enjoy himself. 'I missed this,' he admitted with a soft smile as he continued to dance, 'Far more than I ever realized. To think I never would have tried if it weren't for her…' Tier looked over at his red-haired dance partner and his smile widened slightly as he noted how happy she was.

It occurred to him that Ahiru was beautiful. Not necessarily in terms of appearance, though she _was_ quite pretty in his opinion, but on the inside. 'I care about her,' Tier realized suddenly as she spun into his arms, 'No…I think I may actually be _in love_ with her…' He had mixed feelings about this realization. The curse _did_ require that he learn to love another in order to be broken, but it also required the girl he fell for to return his feelings. The problem was that, while he could no longer deny how he felt about Ahiru, he didn't feel he _deserved_ her. 'She's easily the kindest, most forgiving, and pure-hearted person I have ever met,' the scaled man admitted to himself as a melancholy look flickered across his face, 'To consider someone as selfish and flawed as me as even a friend. I don't deserve to have someone like her in my life and I _really_ don't deserve to win her heart… But…my servants don't deserve to remain cursed either… What should I do?'

Their pas de deux came to an end soon after that last internal question and they stepped apart. "Wow," the red-head's eyes sparkled as she looked up at her dragon-like friend, "I've never danced a pas de deux so well in my life! You're probably the best partner I've ever had!" "Considering this is the first time I've danced in close to ten years," Tier quipped with a hollow smirk, "That makes you look kind of pathetic and the people you've been paired with in the past look even worse." Ahiru scowled at him in annoyance and was about to tell him off for teasing her again when she noticed the troubled look on his face. "Tier," she asked worriedly, "What's wrong? Is something bothering you?" "It's nothing," the dragon-like man sighed before offering a faint, comforting smile, "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

Ahiru gave her friend another concerned frown before reluctantly letting the matter go. She had a feeling whatever was bothering him was more important than he was letting on. However, after a little over three months in his company, she also knew that getting Tier to admit it was next to impossible and that bugging him about it would only put him in a foul mood. She hated it when her friends were upset, so she was willing to let him keep his secrets…for now. If the time came where she felt that he needed to tell her the truth for his own good, then she would do whatever it took to get him to open up. Until then, she would leave him be. 'Tier is still such a mystery,' she admitted to herself as they started working through another pas de deux, 'But…he's a good friend in spite of how prickly and distant he can be. I just wish I knew how to keep him from falling into those melancholy moods of his. What can I do to make it better? I just want him to be happy… That's all…'

Meanwhile, Tier was lost in thoughts of his own. 'I wish there was some way to contact that enchantress,' he sighed internally, 'If I could just get her to alter the curse so that my falling in love is enough to free my servants… I could let Ahiru go without regret. She could be free to live her life however she wanted and maybe even one day realize her dream to see the world. She _seems_ content enough for now, but…this castle is still her prison and I her jailor… This situation…isn't fair to either of us… Ahiru… I wish I could let you go… I want to. I want you to have the freedom to live your dreams the way I never will… I love you and I want you to be happy more than anything…yet… I am still responsible for my servants' well-being… How can I possibly choose?! The girl I love or the closest thing I have to a family… What the hell should I do?!'

 **A/N:** And that's the end of this chapter…which took me even _**longer**_ to finish than the last one. I think I did a pretty decent job of showing the transition between tentatively positive acquaintances to friends to Tier finally falling in love. Of course, the latter is clearly leading to even _more_ problems. Naturally, I'm not going to make it easy for him. He's going to be forced to make a painful choice: Ahiru…or the servants who have always been there for him. You all know the basic plot I am working off of, so the choice he ultimately makes is a no-brainer for us. However, that doesn't mean I'm not going to make him agonize over it. This fic is probably not going to be as long as some of my others if only because I am skipping over the bits that aren't plot-relevant. It's unneeded filler. So I'm not doing it. Oh, and if you're wondering why I keep alluding to how much time has passed since Ahiru arrived…the Disney movie makes it looks as though hardly any time passes yet, if you pay attention to the weather in the background…it starts in late fall and looks to end in early spring. Meaning several months actually passed between the start of act one and the end of act three. I don't have a visual medium to indicate the passage of time, so I have to _tell_ you guys how much time has actually elapsed even though I am more or less sticking to the movie's time-line. It's easier to work off of than the original fairy-tale's timeline which appears to take a couple of years to resolve the plot. That's…even more skipped filler than the Disney movie. …Not doing that! Nope! Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope. Finally, if anyone is wondering about the painting on the ballet studio ceiling… It has no significance to the story in this fic. It's just a fun little Easter Egg type of thing. Those who've watched the anime should have a pretty good idea what it symbolizes, and I'm not going to explain it here. Maybe next chapter's notes.


	9. Plans Are Made

**A/N:** And we are back to Grünefelder for our next interlude-that-kind-of-isn't! More Lilie, more Femio, more Charon, more Pike, and introducing…a tragedy-obsessed old man who I swear is a sadistic psychopath that I wish was punched in the face at _least_ once in series canon at the very least…because he deserves it. Also known as Drosselmeyer. Cue me hissing like an angry cat… I am _so_ glad the role I have him filling means I only have to include him twice… I wish bad things upon him; _ALL_ of the bad things. …hiss… Right! Starting the chapter!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not, have not, and will never own any of the things I am using for this fic. This includes Princess Tutu and Beauty and the Beast (either version) which belong to their respective owners.

Chapter 8: Plans are Made

It had been almost four months since Charon burst into the inn that snowy, stormy night and caused a minor stir. He had not once stopped insisting that Ahiru was being held captive somewhere in the mountains by some sort of monster since then, but the only a scant handful thought there was any truth to his words. The idea was just too preposterous to be believed, though it _was_ strange that she hadn't returned on her own. Most suspected that she had gotten lost and died in that first winter storm which, while tragic, was a far more realistic explanation in their eyes. Of those who believed him, only two were firmly on the old smith's side; specifically, his daughter's best friend, Pike, and her ballet instructor.

Mr. Katzenhaft had initially doubted that there was any truth to his words as he felt they were the result of a delusion brought on by exhaustion. Yet even after Charon had rested for several days, his story had not changed nor had his conviction that Ahiru was in some sort of danger. Gradually, the retired dancer started to be won over. As for the magenta-haired girl, she'd never doubted; she'd had a feeling something was terribly wrong when she'd found the note her friend had left behind. The smith's news of her being held captive by a monster was actually a relief compared to some of the things she'd been imagining.

Lilie and Femio also believed him to a point, but they were also actively working to turn popular opinion against him. The two pairs were in direct opposition. The sadistic blonde, under her cousin's direction, had managed to use both the popular belief that the missing red-head was, in fact, dead and the smith's refusal to let his daughter languish in captivity to fuel rumors about the smith's mental stability and, gradually, the townsfolk started to wonder if there wasn't something to them. Pike and Mr. Katzenhaft would vigorously defend the man if they happened to overhear people gossiping over the rumors Lilie was spreading. They were proving to be a minor obstacle to the sadistic blonde's efforts yet they were unable to halt the gradual shift in public opinion; only slow it. After all, they could only challenge her rumors if they were there at the time, and more often than not, they would be too late to intervene.

Lilie had an additional advantage in that she was a well-known gossip-monger. When she _said_ she heard someone else say something people assumed it was true…even when she was completely making it up. "It's so sad," the blond sighed happily to the baker's wife one day as she browsed the loaves of bread on display. "What is," the older woman wondered absently as she dealt with another customer. "I heard that that poor smith's grief for the loss of his beloved daughter has affected his mind," the green-eyed young woman replied with a blissful smile, "You know that whole fantasy about the monster holding her hostage? I heard he's been clinging to the delusion because he can't bear to accept that she's gone. Isn't that wonderfully tragic?!" "There's nothing wonderful about that poor man's loss," the baker's wife frowned. The customer nodded in agreement before sighing sadly, "It's terrible. Ahiru was such a sweet girl. She deserved better than to freeze to death in some storm."

"I wonder how long old Charon will be able to cling to the illusion that she's still alive somewhere," the blonde mused as her smile broadened, "Perhaps he'll snap and go on a rampage or fall into an endless black despair and kill himself!" The baker's wife started to look concerned but managed a token protest, "Surely he wouldn't go that far…" "Well, he's always been a bit odd," the customer pointed out with a worried frown, "With his insistence that there is actually some truth to those old fairy tales he's so fond of." "But that doesn't mean he could suddenly turn _dangerous_ ," the baker's wife countered though it was clear she doubted her own words.

"All I know is that he's always been a bit strange," the customer replied primly, "I don't think he's dangerous, per say, but it is entirely possible he could become a threat to himself. You remember how broken up he was when his fiancé died when he was a young man. Ahiru was the only thing to bring joy back to his life. Just think of what the realization that he's lost her too could _do_ to the poor man." Lilie giggled quietly to herself as the two women headed down the exact train of thought she wanted them to. She'd pulled the same trick many times since people started mumbling about how Ahiru had died in the mountains. Personally, she didn't think that was the case. Her fanciful mind was more than willing to accept Charon's words as truth and was praying for the missing red-head to suddenly turn up out of the blue. The reactions would be just priceless…

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After another week of aggressive rumor-mongering the tipping point had finally been reached. Lilie beamed at Femio as they walked through town and the townsfolk's uneasy words flowed over them both. "I must say, my dear cousin, that you've really out done yourself," the brown-haired young man smiled in satisfaction as he took in the furious gossip, "Now that the groundwork has been laid, it's time to move on to the next stage of my plan." "I've got a brother who works at Herr Drosselmeyer's Sanatorium," the blond replied cheerfully, "He's willing to pass the word on to the old man that you have an…interesting proposition that might be worth his time."

"He knows to be discreet," her cousin inquired with a stern glance. The sadistic blonde's smile darkened for a few seconds before she continued sweetly, "Oh, he does… I've made the consequences of any…carelessness on his part perfectly clear. He'll get us a meeting as soon as I provide him with a time and place. I just need to know when and where." "We can't have anyone knowing what we're up to," Femio mused quietly, "So it can't be during the day. That would draw far too much attention. So it'll have to be a late night meeting…perhaps a little after midnight. As for where…"

"The tavern's too public," Lilie sighed as she ticked off places on her fingers, "Your family's servants are far too chatty for their own good, so we can't use your manor. The Sanatorium is also out since the gates lock at nine in the evening. We'd need to deal with the guards in order to gain access and the fewer people who know about our… arrangement the better. It's too cold to meet in the main square after dark especially since Herr Drosselmeyer is so old. It would not do for our prospective co-conspirator to die before your plan comes to fruition. That leaves…" "Your house," her cousin finished thoughtfully, "Which could also be a problem if any of your family should happen to overhear." "Fear not, dear cousin," the sadistic blonde proclaimed, "My parents are rarely home if they can avoid it, as are the rest of my siblings."

"Really," Femio blinked in surprise, "That's convenient. Peculiar though. Do you have any idea why?" "Not in the least," Lilie lied blatantly as she reflected on some of the 'games' she had played with them over the years. Her family was _terrified_ of her and would go out of their way to avoid her presence whenever possible out of sheer self-preservation. She thought it was silly of them to be that way. She had a _new_ target now that required all her devoted attention, and she didn't see an end coming any time soon. "So we meet Herr Drosselmeyer at your family's home after midnight," the flamboyant young man beamed, "At his earliest convenience. Ah, my dear Lilie, it feels so _good_ to have a plan come together." "It does indeed, Femio dear," she agreed with a gleeful grin, "It does indeed…"

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Two days later Lilie received a message from their prospective co-conspirator that he would be free that night. She eagerly informed her cousin and they immediately set about making preparations. The blonde young woman's family were long gone by the time Femio arrived, so there was no concern over their activities being discovered. In fact, their rooms were surprisingly dusty and it appeared as though they had all been abandoned for several days. When the flamboyant young man asked why this was, the green-eyed girl only giggled and told him they left on a trip to visit some distant relatives close to a month ago. They'd left her with more than enough money to support herself while they were away, but that was normal for her family.

The truth was Lilie pretty much ran the household the way she wanted and the rest of her family did whatever they could to appease her so she wouldn't target _them_ next. The brother she'd forced to serve as messenger had not left with the rest of the family thanks to his job…though he pretty much lived at the Sanatorium anyways these days. She'd had to ambush him as he was leaving the tavern on one of his days off in order to gain his cooperation which he gave almost instantly. Anything to get her to leave him alone. Femio, of course, knew none of this. All he knew was that they had the house to themselves…which made it a perfect meeting place for underhanded dealings.

It was a minute after midnight when they heard the clatter of the Sanatorium wagon pulling up in front of the house. "Ah," Femio beamed, "Our guest has arrived. Lilie, would you let him in?" "Of course, dear Femio," Lilie chirped as she all but pranced over to the door. The smile on her face only widened once she opened it and beheld the flamboyantly dressed old man standing across the threshold. "You must be Fraulein Kneller," the white-haired old man chuckled, "I've heard so much about you from your brother." "Only good things I hope," she tittered as she gestured for him to come in.

"I'm sure he didn't think they were very good, but to me they were the most wonderful stories," the amber-eyed man sighed happily, "You're a young lady after my own heart." The sadistic blonde's face lit up in sheer glee at that admission before curtseying demurely, "Why you flatter me, Herr Drosselmeyer. Please, come this way. We have so _very_ much to talk about. It think you'll find it _most_ interesting indeed." Drosselmeyer beamed brightly, "Lead on, young lady. I must admit I am intrigued by what little your brother told me. Something about a plan involving my Sanatorium?" "You'll see," Lilie giggled as she lead the old man into the parlor, "You'll see…"

"Herr Drosselmeyer," Femio bowed as the old man entered the room behind his cousin, "So good of you to grace us with your presence." "You should know I don't leave my Sanatorium at this hour for just anyone," Drosselmeyer informed the young man with a mildly unnerving grin, "But I was told you had a proposition I might find interesting…and that you would pay me for the inconvenience." The brown-haired young man wordlessly bent down to pick something up off the floor, stood back up, and placed a large back of gold coins on the parlor table. The white-haired old man's eyes bulged slightly at the sight before he threw his head back and cackled heartily. "Why this is more than enough," he beamed once he calmed down, "You have my attention, young man. Pray, tell me what this old…humanitarian can do for you?"

"Put quite simply I need your help in persuading a certain young lady to be my bride," Femio stated as the three of them took their seats, "The smith's daughter, Ahiru, is so intimidated by my beauty that she flees every time I try to ask for her hand, and this simply will not do!" "The last time he tried she didn't exactly flee. Instead she threw so much stuff at him he ended up falling in a hog wallow," Lilie reflected blissfully, "And he spent the next two days wallowing in his misery. It was marvelous!" Her cousin frowned at her critically, "I will admit I was not at my best after that incident. Yet I know she loves me! I just need to give her a little…incentive to focus on my words and not my stunning good-looks. That's where you come in."

Drosselmeyer tilted his head to the side inquisitively as the young man continued, "Now the old smith has always been a bit…off. What we need is for you to come in and take the man into custody…for his own good, of course." "While I will admit Charon has always been the fanciful sort, he's far from dangerous," the flamboyant old man pointed out. "Oh, I'm well aware of that," Femio smiled slyly, "It took considerable effort on my dear cousin's part to convince the town that he even had the _potential_ to pose a threat to himself or others." "It wasn't quite that hard," Lilie conceded with a demure smile, "What with his wild tale about Ahiru being held captive by some sort of monster in a castle deep in the mountains and all. Add to that the fact that most of the town managed to convince _themselves_ that she had died in that first winter storm and it was practically child's play to get them thinking that his grief is slowly driving him to insanity."

The old man hummed thoughtfully as the brown-haired young man resumed control of the conversation, "There's no denying that Ahiru is missing, but I don't believe that she's dead. I think she found him just as the storm was about to break and he was already somewhat delirious from being lost in the mountains all night. She probably got her cloak caught in a tree and yelped which made the old smith panic. He then ran away and managed to make it back to town by some miracle while she worked herself free and managed to find shelter before she was out in the storm for too long. I suspect she found some old woodcutter's cottage and is taking refuge until the roads clear up enough for her to make the trip back. She'll be expecting to find her father at home waiting for her… Just imagine how desperate she'd be to return and find him gone? She'd do anything to get him back!" "Even marry you, Femio dear," Lilie chirped.

Femio scowled at his cousin a second time before continuing, "You just need to hold Charon until she agrees to marry me, then you can declare him cured and let him go. And if, in that time, you manage to somehow…ah…convince him that I _really_ am the best choice for his daughter to wed I would be eternally grateful." "So you want me to lock a sane man away in my Sanatorium, with the full approval of a town you've willfully deceived, until his daughter agrees to marry you," Drosselmeyer summarized before shaking his head shamefully, "Such a despicable thing…" The brown-haired young man started to wilt in disappointment before the old man suddenly threw his head back and started to laugh maniacally. He shot an uncertain glance at his cousin who seemed oddly unconcerned.

Soon he learned why as the flamboyant old man's laughter abruptly cut off and he leaned forwards as he breathed, "I love it! A maiden forced into a relationship she does not desire all to save her beloved father from a wrongful imprisonment! What a wonderful stage you've set! Ah, it would be my honor to help you achieve your heart's desire. When should I enter the scene?" "As soon as possible," Lilie stated firmly, "We have no idea when the weather will clear up enough for Ahiru to return, so the sooner the better." "Done," Drosselmeyer nodded firmly before another wide grin broke out across his face, "I'll be ready to move by tomorrow evening at the latest. Will you be there?" "Of course," Femio smiled back, "My plan won't work as well if Charon doesn't think I'm at least sympathetic to his plight, after all. If anyone asks I'll say I was concerned for his well-being." Their plans had been made and finalized. Now all that remained was to carry them out.

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Unknown to the trio, another plan was being made across town at the smith's house. Charon was through waiting for the townsfolk to help him find his daughter and was determined to go fetch her himself if he had to. "I'm not sure this is a good idea," Mr. Katzenhaft sighed for what was probably the twelfth time since the discussion began, "The weather in the mountains is still quite treacherous this time of year. Are you sure you can't wait another month or so?" "Ahiru's been imprisoned by that monster for too long already," the sandy-haired man countered grimly, "I've made her wait long enough. One way or another, I'm getting her back." Pike had a slight frown on her face, but hummed in agreement from where she was sitting.

The magenta-haired young woman was busy studying the maps of the mountain range that she'd brought from her home. Her parents collected maps in addition to swords and armor, and had several that detailed the nearby mountains. She was a bit troubled because, based on Charon's description, the castle he'd found matched up almost perfectly with the location of Goldkrone Castle. The location varied slightly on each map which was why it was an 'almost'. Still…if it _was_ the old royal castle his story dealt new credence to all the rumors about the monster that had supposedly murdered the crown prince and his entire household. It worried her. The smith was a strong man, but he was only human. This creature…wasn't.

"How do you know it won't just kill you when you come to take Ahiru back," she finally asked as she looked up from the maps, "Based on all the rumors, it's killed many times before." "I don't know," Charon admitted, "It could be that I never return from this attempt, but I still have to try. I can't just abandon my daughter to whatever fate that beast has in mind for her…if it isn't too late already." Pike winced and looked back down at the maps, "I hope it's not. I want Ahiru back too, you know. I miss her…" "We all do," Mr. Katzenhaft smiled sadly, "Life just seems so much duller in this town without her around. I just wish this plan of yours wasn't so risky, and that you didn't have to travel alone."

The smith didn't really have much of a plan, to be honest. His intent was to pack enough supplies to see him safely – winter weather or no – through the mountains, sneak into the castle, find and retrieve Ahiru, sneak back out, and hopefully make their way back to town before the creature noticed she was even gone. There was a lot that could easily go wrong ranging from getting lost in the mountains…again…to being caught by his former captor long before he reached his daughter. If that happened…there really wasn't much he could do to save himself. Charon remembered how easily that beast had carted him around, _and_ those vicious talons tipping his hands and feet. He knew he could die in the attempt, but he meant what he said. He couldn't just leave Ahiru to her captivity. He had to at least _try_ to rescue her…no matter the cost.

In spite of his protests, Mr. Katzenhaft was not truly opposed to the rescue attempt. His own efforts to organize a search party to locate the missing girl had been unsuccessful to say the least. None of the other townsfolk wanted to waste their time searching for what they believed would be Ahiru's frozen corpse. They felt it was better that she be left to rest in peace wherever she had fallen. Charon was not unaware of the townsfolk's mistaken belief that his daughter was dead and that he was deluding himself. He also knew of the rumors circulating about his mental stability, or rather lack thereof. It frustrated him immensely, but he was also bitterly resigned to the fact that the only thing he could do to change their minds was to _bring Ahiru back_. He literally had no other way to convince them that he had been telling the truth all along.

His two supporters had offered to come with him on his search so that he wouldn't be alone, but complications had arisen that made that impossible. Pike's parents forbid her from going into the mountains after her friend vanished as they were afraid they'd lose their only daughter to the hazards of those snowy peaks. It was a legitimate concern as far as the two adult members of the trio were concerned, but the young woman was still irritated. The Falkenrath's had managed to mollify her somewhat by turning over their map collection and offering a number of resources for Charon to use on his trip so she could still contribute. As for Mr. Katzenhaft, he'd sprained his ankle demonstrating a particular move for his students the week before and had only just recovered enough to hobble around town. A trip through the mountains in his condition was just not happening.

The smith rested his hand on Pike's shoulder and inquired, "So have you found the route I need to take yet?" "I think so," she replied uncertainly before placing her finger over where the castle was supposed to be, moved it over to the spot Grünefelder was located, and started tracing out the route between the two locations as she explained, "The castle is around here, near as I can tell, and our town is here. So you need to take the main mountain road until you hit the crossroads. From there you need to take the old royal way. I imagine it's in bad shape as it hasn't been maintained or used since the last of the royal family vanished. Still, it's the most direct means of reaching the castle. The trick is going to be finding it in real life. The map may make its location clear, but…map-makers can still make mistakes. It might not match up perfectly." "It's better than nothing," Charon informed her kindly, "The last thing I need is to get lost again. I might not be lucky enough to stumble across the place a second time."

A weak laugh escaped Pike as she nodded in understanding before admitting, "True. I still wish I could come along though. I want to do more to help get Ahiru back…" The sandy haired man shook his head, "No. Your parents were right to forbid you from coming. The mountains are dangerous in the winter. The only reason _I'm_ going is because I have to. They _love_ you, Pike, and I will not risk your life on such a perilous endeavor." Pike scowled, but didn't bother arguing. She'd had this debate with both men multiple times and had consistently lost each and every one of them. She was resigned to not coming along…but that didn't mean she was happy about it. "You've done plenty already, Fraulein Falkenrath," Mr. Katzenhaft assured her with a kind smile, "What with the maps, the new winter gear, and the travel supplies you've provided." "He's right," the smith nodded, "It's still risky, but I feel much better about my chances now than I did when I first considered returning."

His own winter gear was old and threadbare in places. It was fine for short trips around town, but was effectively useless for protecting its wearer from long-term exposure to winter weather. The new gear the Falkenrath's had commissioned for his use before turning it over to their daughter to present to him was far more formidable. It would keep him nice and toasty in most winter weather conditions. Plus there was the fact that he tended to get lost in the mountains when left on his own, the maps and compass she had provided should help him avoid that particular fate. Really, the only major thing he had to worry about was his new cloak getting wet.

The heavy material was good at blocking out the wind and cold, but it was also highly absorbent. If it got wet, he would be in trouble; particularly considering the risk there was of encountering a blizzard. They weren't common in late winter, but considering he was heading into the mountains… The weather up there was notoriously unpredictable. It couldn't be discounted as a legitimate risk. Pike sighed and nodded reluctantly, "I guess you're right. I still feel like I should be doing more, though…" Charon patted her lightly on the shoulder as he assured her, "That's because you are a responsible young lady with a kind heart and a _very_ good friend. I couldn't possibly ask for more from you, Pike." The magenta-haired young woman smiled back at him weakly before plastering a determined look on her face. "Right," she clapped her hands together sharply, "So we've got the route figured out. What's next?"

It turned out the only thing left was for Charon to pack his gear before heading out, and that he didn't really need assistance with. Pike and Mr. Katzenhaft both promised to keep an eye on his house and forge while he was away before leaving him to take care of his final preparations. The smith only got about half of his packing done before he got too tired to continue and turned in for the night. The next morning, however, he was up early and picked up right where he left off. It was just after noon when he finished.

As much as he wanted to head straight out, he took the time to eat a quick lunch. He knew he'd need the energy on his trip. The second he finished cleaning up after his meal, though, he set about gearing up, slung his pack over his shoulder, and headed out. He had a daughter to save! The sky was clear that afternoon, so he made fairly good time down the road. Still, he knew his trip would become much more challenging once he hit the mountains. That meant he had to pace himself carefully. No matter how much he wanted to hurry as fast as he could, he knew he would be of no use to Ahiru if he collapsed from exhaustion before he even got to the castle. The sandy-haired man estimated that the full trip out and back would take him a little over a week if he was lucky.

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Charon had no idea of just how narrow an escape he had pulled off by leaving when he did. Mere hours after his departure, Femio and Lilie arrived just moments ahead of Herr Drosselmeyer's official carriage. The plan was that the young man would knock on the door and pretend he was concerned about how the smith was holding up with all the rumors flying around. Then Drosselmeyer would arrive while they were talking and claim he had been informed by 'a concerned citizen' that the sandy-haired man was a danger to himself. From there, Ahiru's father would be taken into custody with the flamboyant young man feigning confusion and dismay at the course events were taking. The end result would be that Charon would believe that Femio was nothing more than an innocent bystander and, ideally, would beg him to let Ahiru know what had happened. Lilie, naturally, would act like her usual self and be elated by everything that was going on. The plan may very well have worked out perfectly…except for one thing. The smith was long gone by the time they arrived.

Femio smiled in satisfaction as he approached the front of the house as he murmured to his cousin, "This is it, Lilie. Remember, we must appear as though this is just a casual visit and that we had _no idea_ Drosselmeyer was coming." Lilie smiled back and nodded understandingly. She wasn't going to do _anything_ to jeopardize a plan that had already given her so much enjoyment already…and it wasn't even finished yet! 'Favorite. Cousin. Ever,' she sighed happily to herself as she watched the flamboyant young man walk up to the front door and raise his hand to knock. She was going to miss him when he inevitably broke… He knocked firmly, yet politely, on the door before stepping back and waiting for an answer. Yet when none came he frowned in confusion before knocking again and called out, "Charon, are you all right in there? Please answer the door!" The house remained silent.

Drosselmeyer pulled up just as the young man started peering in through the window's out front to see if he could see any sign of the smith. "Is something wrong," the old man asked courteously. "It seems our dear smith isn't home," the sadistic blonde sighed before musing aloud, "I wonder where he's gone?" "It doesn't matter," Femio frowned as he finally stepped away from the house, "We'll just have to wait for him to get back. Lilie, dear, would you mind staking out the place until he returns?" "Not at all," Lilie beamed as she scampered over to stand next to the front door and stamped her feet firmly on the frozen ground, "I won't budge from this spot until he's back!"

The brown-haired young man blinked in confusion before shaking his head with an amused smile, "You'll freeze to death if you do that, my dear cousin. No, I want you to check up on the place at least once a day. The second you catch a glimpse of our missing smith come find me and we'll try again." Lilie pouted slightly, but acknowledged that her cousin had a point. She didn't want to freeze to death. She wouldn't get to see how this plan of his played out. Whether it succeeded or failed it would be a win for her.

"Ah, well," Drosselmeyer sighed, "This isn't the first time I've been required to wait to collect a future resident of my Sanatorium. My men will understand. You will keep me updated, of course?" "Naturally," Femio replied formally, "You'll know of his return shortly after I do, Herr Drosselmeyer." "Wonderful," the flamboyant old man exulted before turning to address the men waiting by the carriage, "It seems the man we've come to collect isn't home right now. Fortunately, these two young folks have agreed to let me know when he returns so we can do our jobs. It's so good to see such responsibility, isn't it?" The men nodded tolerantly, but remained silent. They'd learned silent agreement was the best way to deal with their eccentric employer. Drosselmeyer bid his co-conspirators a polite farewell before directing his men to drive back to the Sanatorium. "Well," Lilie sighed, "I guess now all we can do is wait." "All good things in time, my dear cousin," the flamboyant young man assured her with a smile, "Our patience _will_ be rewarded in the end. Count on it."

 **A/N:** What is with all these chapters not wanting to be written?! That's three in a row, now. Damned writer's flood… Quit distracting me, damn it! For the record, writer's flood is basically the exact opposite of writer's block. Instead of having _zero_ inspiration to write…I am literally drowning in story ideas. It's just as paralyzing to the writing process because I get so many ideas I can _not_ freaking focus long enough to write anything! I have to wait for a break long enough and then write as much as I can before the next wave hits. It freaking sucks and I wish I could just channel all the extra story ideas to other writers who actually _need them_! T_T I feel like Hwel from Terry Pratchett's Wyrd Sisters… Right, enough moping! Femio is gradually starting to behave more and more like a villain; a fairly affable one so far, but a villain none-the-less. Lilie ended up demanding a far larger role than her film counterpart as I wrote, and I quite like how she is turning out. She's not at all the bumbling henchman Lefou was. She's far more…sinister. I admit I based her relationship with her family a bit off of Mandy's – from the Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy – relationship with her parents. She was my favorite character on that cartoon… Now, it's high time I returned to focusing on my protagonists! I'll see you all next chapter, gentle readers!


	10. Because I Love Her

**A/N:** Ah, yes. We have finally reached the climax of the second act. Thank you, Lindsay Ellis, for posting that video about three-act structures on YouTube. I now have another tool to add to my repertoire when it comes to deconstructing the movies I watch… Yes, I actually do that for fun. I'm weird that way. Anyways, this chapter will have the build up to the dance scene, the actual dance, and the aftermath. Not going into any more detail than that. If you've ever watched the Disney film you know exactly what I'm talking about, and if you haven't…well I just feel sorry for you. I really do. Hopefully, the live-action re-make lives up to its predecessor…and keeps the same leitmotif. God, I love it so much… Right! Time to actually start writing! I'd like to finish writing this before April… No real reason in particular. I just want to. …Also I freaking _love_ the line from the movie that I used as the title for this chapter!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not, have not, and will never own any of the things I am using for this fic. This includes Princess Tutu and Beauty and the Beast (either version) which belong to their respective owners.

Chapter 9: Because I Love Her

A month had passed since Tier had offered to help Ahiru practice pas de deux, and he still struggled over how to resolve the conflict between his responsibility to his servants and his love for his red-haired captive. To make matters worse, the enchanted rose in his quarters had lost well over three-quarters of its petals which had driven his servants to try to push him and the blue-eyed young woman together whenever they could. 'I appreciate that they're trying to help,' he sighed to himself as he stared pensively at the wilting flower illuminated by the light of the setting sun, 'But I really wish they wouldn't.' Uzura was probably the worst offender as she had a habit of bluntly asking the red-head who she was 'love-love' with. It made both of them painfully uncomfortable.

Furthermore, over the past week to be specific, he'd been feeling unusually exhausted regardless of how much he actually slept. It had gotten to the point that he was required to take frequent naps just to remain functional. He had a pretty good idea of what was causing it, though. His remaining time had run so low that the consequences of his continued failure to break the curse were starting to register physically. He estimated he had maybe a couple of weeks left at most before it completely ran out though it was hard to be exact since the rose didn't lose petals at a stable rate. Yet, in spite of this knowledge, he was determined to keep his gradually deteriorating health a _secret_. He knew it would only upset everyone. It was for the best that he keep it hidden. 'Besides,' Tier mused with a sad smile, 'They all worry about me enough these days as it is. Even Ahiru worries, and I deserve her concern the least of all…'

Regarding his month long dilemma, however, about the only thing he'd made up his mind on was that he wanted her to have the chance to live out her dreams; dreams of seeing the world as a prima ballerina. Dreams whose fulfillment was on hold for as long as she was his prisoner. He'd never really gotten over his feelings of guilt for separating her from her father all those months ago, and learning about her dreams… He'd had to leave before he crumbled under the weight of a new, even _greater_ surge of guilt from what his actions had cost her. Tier had spent hours berating himself over that, and it honestly made him question how she'd ever been able to call him her friend after the way he'd robbed her of her freedom to pursue the life she dreamed of.

'I can't tell her how I really feel,' Tier admitted morosely, 'That would be selfish of me, and my selfishness has already caused her so much heart-ache… Why did that old smith have to find my castle? Wouldn't it have been better for all of us if neither of them had come to this place…? But then again…she's brought me so much happiness. I thought my final days would be miserable, but thanks to her… I'm actually enjoying myself more often than not…' That was another thing he had to consider. "I'm still going to die in the end…, he muttered to himself sadly, "Unless I tell her the truth about how I feel…but I can't! I just can't!"

The dragon-like man sighed heavily as he swung his legs over the side of his bed before burying his face in his hands, and finally admitted to himself, 'It would be cruel of me…to force her to stay and watch me die… She thinks of me as a friend in spite of everything I've put her through and I know my death would break her heart… I should just let her go. Chances are she wouldn't return until well after I'm gone, so maybe she wouldn't grieve for me as much…I hope… I just don't want to cause her any more pain…' He'd caused her more than enough heartache as it was.

The dragon-like man considered how his servants would react to him letting Ahiru go. They'd be disappointed, and more than a few of them would be distraught to learn they would never be human again. Yet most would probably understand _why_ he couldn't bear to keep her imprisoned anymore. Not when they knew how much of a prison his own life had been. This castle was a gilded cage and always had been. Tier's dreams had always been doomed to die unfulfilled, but hers… The only thing preventing her from achieving them was her promise to remain with him. How could he possibly deny her that? Yes, he was sure his servants wouldn't hold it against him for very long.

"So that's it then," Tier murmured quietly, "I'm going to set her free and so condemn myself to death… Now I just need to work out how to tell her she's no longer my prisoner. She's so curious… There's no way she isn't going to ask my why I'm letting her go…and I can't tell her the truth. She's so kind and charitable that I know she'd choose to stay by my side till the very end if she knew I was in love with her… I can't let her do that. So what should I tell her? Is there any way I can bring the matter up without risking her wanting to stay?" He continued pondering how he was going to tell her she was free right up until a knock came at his bedroom door.

"Who is it," he called back distractedly. "It's me," Ahiru's voice chirped causing him to choke slightly and fall off his bed in surprise as she continued, "I just wanted to let you know it's nearly time for dinner!" She'd convinced him to try eating dinners with her again a few weeks ago, and they were nowhere near as awkward as the dinner they'd shared her first night had been. "I-I'll be right down," Tier replied as she scrambled back to his feet and brushed off his shirt and pants. They weren't all that fancy; just a simple white linen open-backed shirt with a tear at the right elbow and equally loose dark green slacks.

The tear was something he'd added after Madame Koza had delivered the shirt. He liked for there to be tears in his clothes and always had even before he'd been cursed. It was the _one_ freedom he'd attained for himself: to be allowed to modify and wear whatever he liked unless it was an official occasion. He had taken to pulling his mane back in a messy ponytail as well which his servants assured made him look far less like some wild beast and more like a man. Personally, he didn't care how he looked, but it made Ahiru more comfortable so he adjusted his appearance accordingly. His keen hearing informed him that the red-head had departed the second he'd informed her he was coming, and he sighed quietly. That girl had him wrapped around her little finger and didn't even realize it. "I am so pathetic," he muttered with a self-deprecating smirk before heading for the door. He had a meal to attend.

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The young red-head was honestly enjoying her life in the castle these days. Ever since Tier rescued her things had gradually improved for her. Sure, she still missed her father and friends back in Grünefelder, but she didn't dwell on it. Besides, she had friends and family at the castle now that she'd miss if she ever left. Mytho, Raetsel, Rue, and Uzura were her second family. Autor had gradually warmed up to her over the months, but their interactions were still pretty formal. She wanted to be his friend, but he didn't seem interested in being anything more than a casual acquaintance. He frustrated her _so much_. She still liked Hermia, but the wardrobe could be quite eccentric at times. Plus she kept insisting that Ahiru admit she liked her best friend as _more_ than a friend.

That best friend was Tier himself. She didn't deny that he had a lot of flaws. He was still really prickly around her sometimes, he derived _way_ too much enjoyment from teasing her or catching her in ridiculous situations, he could be a bit of a jerk sometimes, and he still tended to fall into these melancholy moods no matter what she did to try and cheer him up. And yet…even at his prickliest he always was willing to listen if she needed someone to talk to, he had a really nice laugh that made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside…even when it _was_ at her expense, he always tried to make it up to her whenever he hurt her feelings, and he was just such a nice guy once she got to know him that she couldn't help liking him.

On top of how much she enjoyed his company was the fact that she was in awe of his talent at ballet. For all his insistence that he was out of practice and that his body made the entire exercise painfully awkward for him, he was still the best dancer she had ever seen. Tier exuded power and grace the few times she'd caught him dancing on his own as he warmed up before their pas de deux practice sessions. It was really only a handful of occasions, but they stuck in her memory regardless. Ahiru had also been gradually growing increasingly aware of just how _safe_ she felt in his arms when they danced together. His touch was so warm and gentle… You wouldn't think that would be the case based on his appearance, but she had long since stopped judging him based on how he looked.

So what if he looked like a big, scary monster? He was still a person with fears, sorrows, joys, and dreams just like anyone else. Ahiru just wished he would open up to her a bit more. She got the feeling he was still holding things back when they talked, and her curiosity was driving her to learn what he was hiding. The red-head knew she had to be careful though. Tier had made it clear that he _would_ go back to avoiding her temporarily if she pried too much. He'd done so several times since she first started trying to befriend him, after all. She _had_ wondered if he just didn't trust her, but when she'd asked him he'd given her an incredulous look before bluntly informing her that he probably trusted her more than anyone else. Then she started wondering if he was afraid to get close to people. She'd tried asking her other friends, but they kept deflecting…or just didn't know in Uzura's case. She couldn't exactly ask him because she knew he'd take it badly. He was just such a mystery…but one she was enjoying trying to solve.

Ahiru smiled to herself as she reflected on all of this as she waited for Tier to meet up with her in the dining hall. She was not unaware of the irony of how she had come to enjoy her life in the castle considering how miserable she had been initially. It helped that everyone, including her captor, had done everything they could to make her stay as pleasant as possible _and_ that the castle and grounds were so expansive. Her dragon-like friend had even made the effort to remove the more disturbing decorations and place them in storage so that she didn't have to look at them. It meant the castle was a bit barer in places, but it was still an improvement.

She was honestly amazed at the sheer lengths he'd go to in order to ensure she was happy and comfortable. Yet he always brushed off her thanks and would insist that he was still trying to make up for the absolute failure of a host he'd been when she'd first arrived. As far as the red-head was concerned, he'd more than succeeded at that. Ahiru giggled as she thought about just how adorable the big, intimidating dragon-man could be sometimes. She'd caught him sleeping in the parlor once. He'd somehow managed to end up curled up in a cat-like ball in his chair with his tail draped partially over his face. It had been so cute she'd had to suppress the urge to squeal at the sight. Six and a half foot tall draconic humanoids should _not_ be that adorable when sleeping, yet he was.

To her amusement, he'd even had a few adorable waking moments as well. One of Rue's maids had accidentally knocked the bucket of water she was using to clean over the edge of the balcony one day, and it had landed on Tier's head as he had been walking by. The way he just stood there for several moments blinking in wide-eyed shock as the water dripped off of his mane had struck her as being surprisingly cute. Admittedly, it hadn't lasted long before he scowled and stormed up the stairs to chew the hapless maid out. It did not make the whole thing any less funny to Ahiru. Mytho, whom she'd been conversing with before the whole incident took place, had also seemed to find it amusing.

Another incident was set off when they'd been walking down the stairs, she'd tripped, ended up knocking her dragon-like friend over, and landed on top of him with her face mashed firmly against his chest. When she raised her head he was just staring blankly at the ceiling with a stunned look on his face which had worried her initially. Yet he immediately snapped out of it once she pushed herself up and started stammering as he asked her if she was alright. His whole demeanor in that moment struck her as being so adorably awkward. In fact, there had been a surprising number of adorably awkward moments between the two of them over the past few weeks now that she thought about it. It was weird. Still, she had to admit she kind of enjoyed it when he got like that.

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Ahiru snapped out of her musings as her best friend finally arrived. "Sorry it took me so long. Autor needed to talk to me about something," he apologized as he escorted her to her seat. "It's fine," she assured him before tilting her head curiously as she sat down, "So what did you talk about?" "Nothing important," Tier replied as he pushed her chair in before heading for his own seat. "I'd still like to hear about it, though," the red-head insisted. The dragon-like man sighed before reluctantly explaining, "Autor wanted to hold a celebration in a couple of weeks since it had been a while since the last time. I didn't think it was necessary, but he made a convincing argument. So he's going to be arranging _something_ for the occasion." "What occasion would that be," the blue-eyed maiden inquired.

Her friend cringed slightly before quietly admitting, "My birthday… I'll be turning twenty-six…" 'And it'll be my last,' he confessed internally as he watched the young woman's face light up with joy, 'Before my time runs out…' "Wow," Ahiru breathed, "That's so weird!" "What is," Tier blinked in confusion. "It's just that my birthday is the day after tomorrow," she explained with an awkward laugh, "I was just thinking it was strange that they were so close together is all…" "How old will you be," the beast man asked curiously. "I'm going to be nineteen," the red-haired young woman beamed. "You seem younger," he quipped with a faint smirk. "Yeah," the blue-eyed girl laughed awkwardly, "I get that a lot…"

They stopped talking as the servants brought out the first course and focused on enjoying their food for a while before resuming their conversation. "I'm sure Autor would relish the chance to have two celebrations instead of just one," Tier mentioned casually. "Eh," Ahiru blinked in surprise. "I can ask Autor to arrange something simple for you," the dragon-like man continued, "So he doesn't drive himself to distraction fretting about the short notice." "Are you offering to throw me a birthday party," the young woman inquired disbelievingly. Her friend sighed and glanced away awkwardly, "Yes." "Thank you," she squealed as she clapped her hands together, "You're the best, Tier!" "You're welcome," he replied with a weak smile before his eyes dropped to his plate.

'Her birthday is probably the best time for me to tell her I'm releasing her,' he considered morosely as he felt his persistent exhaustion creeping back _in spite_ of the nap he'd only just woken up from an hour ago, 'Her freedom is the best gift I could possibly offer. I'm going to miss having her around…but at least I won't be missing her for very long. Not at the rate the rose is losing its petals. I'll be lucky if I live even a day past the dawn of my twenty-sixth year…' "Tier," Ahiru asked as she noticed his sudden mood shift, "Is something wrong?" "Nothing," he lied quietly, "I was just thinking…" "About what," she inquired curiously. "Time mostly," the draconic humanoid half-lied as he started in on the next course of food his servants placed in front of him, "It goes by so slowly sometimes, yet others it goes by so fast you feel like you've missed something. It's strange…" "I guess that is a bit odd," the red-head admitted after she swallowed her first bite, "I've never really thought about it before."

"I can't stop," Tier admitted ruefully, "Day by day it slips away like sand falling through your fingers, but unlike sand you can't just pick up a second handful and start over. Once you run out of time, that's it. You can never regain what you've lost or wasted and if you've wasted all of your time…then all you have left in the end is regret." "That's really depressing," Ahiru frowned as she stared intently at her friend, "Are you sure nothing's bothering you?" The draconic man shook his head, "I always get like this around my birthday. I guess I start thinking about the last year of my life and wonder how much of what I've done I'll come to regret later on. Then I start thinking about time and mortality. Ultimately, I end up depressing myself long before the day actually arrives."

"But then you're miserable when your birthday actually arrives," the red-head pointed out with a concerned glance. "I'd be miserable either way," he smirked bitterly, "I can't _stand_ parties, but Autor _and_ his father before him used to insist on throwing me one every year. The one _good_ thing about being turned into a monster was that the parties stopped…" The dragon-like man trailed off and sighed before digging into his food. Ahiru considered trying to get him to tell her more, but his behavior indicated that he'd probably said more than he was honestly comfortable with already. So she changed the subject. "So do you think my party will be formal or what," she asked.

Her friend glanced up at her and swallowed his food before replying thoughtfully, "Not sure. It depends on what Autor feels he can put together before then. Considering he has only a day to prepare it probably won't be _too_ formal, but he is such a stickler for propriety that he might just drive himself to the breaking point in order to set up a full royal ball." Ahiru blanched, "Royal?!" "He has very high standards," Tier smirked, "But I might be able to talk him into doing something a bit less fancy if that makes you uncomfortable." "It does," the red-head replied shakily, "It really does." "Then I'll tell him to keep things as low-key as possible," the dragon-like man assured her, "Though it'll still probably be a ball of some sort. Autor's stubborn that way."

"But the only forms of dancing I know are folk dances and ballet," the blue-eyed young woman fretted, "How do you dance at a ball?!" "Considering the two of us are the only ones who are even capable of dancing," the reptilian man shrugged, "I'd say we can just go with whatever you're comfortable with." "Ballet then, please," she begged, "I'm really bad at folk dancing and I don't want to murder your feet." "I have talons," her draconic friend pointed out dryly, "You could jump up and down on them and it wouldn't affect me much. Still, I'm fine with ballet." Saying he was fine with the idea was a bit of an understatement. He actually loved it. It had been her who had gotten him dancing again, after all, and it seemed fitting that he bid her farewell by sharing one final pas de deux.

They spent the rest of the meal engaging in casual conversation about Ahiru's past birthday celebrations. They had always been small gatherings consisting of only herself, her father, and Pike. Occasionally Pike's parents attended as well, but not often. Dancing had never been involved in the past. Instead, her father would make a special dinner for the three, occasionally five, of them. Then he'd present her with a pastry he'd ordered specially from the baker's shop. Sometimes it was a pie, sometimes it was a cake, and sometimes it was a sweet roll of some sort. Yet it was always special because he'd gotten it for her and her alone. Depending on how large the pastry was she'd either eat part of it, or all of it, before the others gave her their gifts.

What she received tended to vary, but she always treasured whatever it turned out to be. Less because of what it was and more because of the thought put into it. "I like getting presents not because of the gift itself," she admitted, "But because of the people doing the giving. Because I know they care about me and their gifts reflect that care." It was a novel concept for the dragon-like man. In the past, people had only given him presents in an effort to gain his favor for _some_ reason. "So it's love that matters to you," Tier murmured thoughtfully, "Not the gift itself." "Exactly," Ahiru nodded with a broad smile. This worked out perfectly for him considering the whole reason he was letting her go was because he loved her too much to keep her caged with him any longer. ==================================this+is+a+line+break====================================

Tier immediately sought out Autor the second the meal was finished and Ahiru wandered off to chat with Hermia. "Autor," he called as he burst into the library, "I need to talk to you." "I am yours to command, my lord," the clock replied primly as he looked up from the list he was making. "Ahiru's birthday is the day after tomorrow," the dragon-like man stated bluntly, "She's turning nineteen and I want to celebrate it with her. I need you to organize a simple party. Nothing extravagant like what you've put together for my birthdays in the past. It'll be just the two of us mainly plus whoever among the staff feels like attending."

The ornamental timepiece's jaw dropped before his whole expression brightened, "Why that's wonderful news, my lord. Yes, we throw party for the young lady to display just how deeply you care for her and potentially win her heart in the process. I will do my best to make it a memorable occasion for all!" "Don't put words in my mouth," the draconic humanoid grumbled before continuing to outline the requirements he had in mind, "Ahiru freaked out at the thought of her party being a full formal event. You're going to have to keep things as small scale as possible. That means no orchestra. No large feasts to be waded through. No extravagant decorations. No speeches. And no pile of useless trinkets disguised as gifts. I want her to actually enjoy herself and she has simple tastes when it comes to birthdays. So don't get carried away."

Autor gave his master an insulted look, "Of course she has simple tastes. She's the daughter of a smith. Such folk tend to lead simple lives. I should have no trouble tailoring a special dinner for the two of you. I suppose I should avoid excessively rich foods, but our chefs have been catering to her for so long we should be able to come up with something suitable. Perhaps a slow dance or two in the ballroom afterwards, and then we can move on to gifts." "She'd prefer it if we stuck to ballet actually," Tier informed his stuffy young chamberlain, "She has no experience in ballroom dancing, and by her own admission is terrible at folk dancing."

" _Everyone's_ terrible at folk dancing," the clock quipped dryly, "It's expected. Regardless, I have no problem with substituting ballet for the traditional ballroom dances. It's still elegant and shows off the dancers' grace, poise, and refinement." The dragon-like man rolled his eyes at the uptight timepiece, gritted his teeth in annoyance as he stifled a yawn, and sighed before glaring sharply, "While I'm thinking about it, I don't want you to make her uncomfortable with all that lovey-dovey crap. That goes for the other members of the staff as well. It's _not helping_!" "Well, I'm sorry," Autor huffed, "But we're running out of time! You can't afford to take it slow any more, my lord." "I know that," Tier snapped coldly before he sighed and repeated tiredly, "I know that…better than anyone. Just…trust that I have a plan in mind regarding the matter, all right?"

Admittedly, the plan was to let Ahiru go and accept his inevitable death, but the others would learn the truth soon enough. He just hoped they'd forgive him. "Very well," the clock sighed, "I'll keep the tone intimate yet not romantic. Is that everything?" "Yes," the draconic humanoid replied evenly. "Then leave me to my work," Autor requested, "I have a lot of planning and organizing to do and very little time in which to complete it." "Of course," Tier nodded before turning to leave then hesitating as he admitted quietly, "I _do_ appreciate your efforts, Autor. I may not have always been the best at showing that, but it's the truth."

The ornamental timepiece looked up in surprise as his master resumed his trek back out of the library and tilted his carven head to the side. "Well, that was an odd thing to say," he murmured before shrugging, "Perhaps he's more anxious about the limited time we have remaining than he's let on. Right! This party needs to go off without a hitch! We're all counting on its success at this point…" He then sighed and shook his head as he pulled out a new sheet of paper to plan Ahiru's party on before muttering to himself, "No pressure…"

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Autor did not disappoint and, by the time the red-head's birthday had arrived, he had fully completed all the preparations for the party. Most of the staff, rather predictably, had opted not to attend in hopes that the more intimate surroundings would encourage one of the two friends to confess. In fact, the only ones who had insisted on showing up were Rue, Mytho, Raetsel, and Uzura. Hermia wanted to, but she felt helping Ahiru get ready was more important. She reasoned that, in the time it would take for her to get out of the room and down to where the party was being held after helping the young woman choose the right dress and all, she'd end up missing most of it. In this case, she felt it was best to just stay behind and wish her friend a happy birthday.

To make up for her absence, though, the wardrobe had effectively commandeered any servant with skill at hair-dressing and make-up application. "Um…," the blue-eyed maiden blinked as she stared at the small army of furniture gathered in the corner of her room after returning from her afternoon ballet practice, "Why are all of these people here, Hermia?" "They're going to help you get all spruced up for the party this evening," Hermia replied cheerfully, "I wanted you to feel and look like a princess for your special day! It's my present to you." "A princess," Ahiru gaped before laughing awkwardly, "Ah, I don't think I'm really princess material, Hermia… Princesses are supposed to be graceful and elegant and beautiful while I…ah…I'm not any of those things…"

Hermia waggled her left door at her friend in a scolding manner, "Now don't talk about yourself that way, Ahiru. You sell yourself short. I mean, I know you can be clumsy every now and then, but nobody's perfect. Even princes and princesses. They make mistakes just like anyone else. It just tends to be overlooked because they're, well, royalty." "You really think you can make me look like a princess," Ahiru asked uncertainly, yet with a slightly hopeful look. "Just leave it to us, my friend," the wardrobe exclaimed with a confidant smile, "Now let's start by choosing a dress. I understand you and Tier will be dancing together latter on this evening… Ballet, correct?" "Uh, yes," the red-head replied as she scratched the side of her head in confusion, "Does that matter?"

"Of course it does," the mobile closet assured her friend, "We need to choose a dress that won't hamper you while you dance, yet is still elegant. Fortunately, I asked Madame Koza for assistance when I first heard Autor mumbling about his preparations the other day. She stopped by while you were out to drop off several creations she and her girls came up with, so we have plenty options. Let's take a look shall we?" The young woman blinked in surprise as Hermia threw both her doors wide open before her jaw dropped in amazement at the collection within. She'd never seen so many different styles of tutus before in her life; let alone so many colors. She eagerly started debating with her friend over her options.

Once they decided on a dress, Ahiru was directed by one of the on-looking servants, a wash-stand who introduced herself as Helga, into a tub to wash up. "Are you sure that's really necessary," the red-head asked before sniffing her hair, "I washed my hair and everything yesterday…" "That's not the point, miss. This is about making you feel like a princess. There are several treatments the nobility indulge in while bathing that I imagine you have never experienced," one of the other servants – a pitcher – informed her before leaning in conspiratorially, "Supposedly they improve the appearance though from some of the past guests that have graced this castle's halls…they either don't work at all or they are not indulging themselves nearly often enough. Uh…but…don't tell Autor I said that." "My lips are sealed," the blue-eyed maiden promised solemnly before eyeing the tub of steaming water a second time, shrugging, and stripping down. She wasn't going to deny that her curiosity had been piqued by the knowledge that nobles bathed differently. At least this time indulging her inquisitive nature wouldn't backfire.

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While Ahiru was drawn ever deeper into Hermia's plans to transform her from commoner into princess, Tier was reluctantly enduring his best friend's efforts to fix up his appearance while simultaneously struggling to bury the signs of his growing exhaustion. He'd spend most of the day asleep hoping it would give him enough energy to face the night ahead, but it seemed as though this was not to be the case. The dragon-like man was resigned to simply doing his best to push on through it and not let on just _how_ little energy he really had. He flinched and sighed as a sharp 'crack' signified the demise of yet another comb. "That's the twelfth one," he pointed out exasperatedly to the nearby three-pronged candlestick overseeing the proceedings, "Could you just accept that combing out my mane isn't going to work?" "Never," Mytho retorted stubbornly, "There's only a small section left to get through, then we can move on to the next stage. Johann! Don't give up!"

Johann the coatrack sighed as he tossed aside the broken comb and picked up a fresh one from the basket resting on the dressing table before resuming his efforts to tame the snarled mess that was his master's mane. To think they hadn't believed the man when he insisted it ate combs… It took another hour, and another six combs, before the three of them concluded it was officially tangle free for the first time in years…literally. Tier was especially relieved for he had drastically underestimated just how painful the ordeal would be. 'I guess just because I have scales under there instead of skin doesn't change the fact that my hair being tugged on still hurts,' he concluded with a wince. "So now what," he questioned his friend warily. "Now we start on your talons," Mytho declared, "They could stand to be smoothed down and polished. After that, I'll have Johann prepare a bath for you and we can get you cleaned up before we return to that mane of yours."

Tier sighed again, but didn't resist as the candelabra and coatrack collaborated on the next stage. Johann couldn't really bend over far enough to reach the dragon-like man's taloned feet hence why Mytho pitched in. It only took them about fifteen minutes to neaten up their master's talons before they split up to prepare the next stage in their preparations. The dark-scaled man idly ran his right hand talons along the top of the dressing table as he waited and raised an eyebrow as it scratched it no more deeply than a human fingernail. They'd even filed down the ends enough that he no longer had to worry about gouging Ahiru's skin by accident.

A soft smile crossed his face at that. It would be nice to be able to dance with her freely for once without the fear of hurting her hanging over his head. Particularly since this would be their last dance… "My lord, your bath is ready," Johann announced formally, snapping the draconic humanoid out of his thoughts. Tier stood silently and walked over to the tub before stripping off the robe he'd been wearing. He then stepped into the tub and settled himself comfortably as he waited for the footman to catch up.

Mytho gave his master an odd look as he quietly tolerated the enchanted footman scrubbing at his scales and hair. "It isn't like you to go along with what is generally considered proper behavior for nobles," he observed thoughtfully. Tier merely shrugged indifferently before cringing as Johann dumped a bucket of hot water over his head to rinse off some of the suds yet remained silent. He honestly preferred to wash himself if given the option. Right now, though, he was just too tired to bother. "In fact, you've been far more passive than normal all week," the candelabra continued as he folded his 'arms' and tilted his central candlestick to the side, "You'll never win the young lady's heart if you keep that up. You need to be bold and assertive!" "And how would that help," the dragon-like man sighed as he brushed a lock of damp hair out of his face.

"Ladies often find confidence attractive," the coatrack pointed out as he returned to scrubbing his master's torso. "Quite right," the three-pronged candlestick nodded, "And it wouldn't hurt if you were a touch more physically affectionate this evening as well." "You're making it sound as though I'm supposed to seduce the poor girl," Tier grumbled with a sharp glare at his friend, "She deserves to be treated better than that." 'She deserves better than to be caged,' he reminded himself once more before suppressing the urge to yawn. Getting through that night's party was not going to be easy, but for Ahiru's sake…he would endure. He owed it to her. "No, I wasn't suggesting anything _that_ base and unrefined," Mytho agreed with a kind smile, "I was just thinking it would make your confession of love a bit less shocking if you _showed_ her how much you cared beforehand."

Tier went rigid and stared blankly at the bathroom wall before he repeated, "Confession of…love? Tonight?! I couldn't possibly…" 'Particularly since I'm planning on releasing her," he continued internally. Mytho was unaware of his friend's reservations and the reasons behind them as he prompted, "Oh, come now, my liege. When if not tonight? It's her birthday after all. You are in love with her, are you not?" The dragon-like man lowered his head to mask the pained look that flickered across his face as he quietly admitted, "I love her more with every passing day… I've never felt so strongly for anyone before in my life…"

"Then what better gift could you give than to offer her your heart," the candlestick challenged. 'A chance to live out her dreams,' Tier retorted internally, 'A chance to find someone who can give her the life she deserves and make her truly happy. A chance to return to the friends and family she has been cut off from thanks to my selfishness and fear of death. A full and happy life free from this cage… If I give her back her freedom then she stands to gain so much more than I could possibly offer even if she did, by some miracle, return my feelings.' Yet he kept the truth to himself and instead countered softly, "It's not that easy, Mytho…"

The candelabra frowned in concern at his master's reluctance as Johann steadily worked his way down the man's body. He knew his friend better than anyone else, and the dragon-like humanoid's continued refusal to even _try_ to pursue anything more than friendship with Ahiru was setting off all sorts of internal alarms. He was growing increasingly suspicious of the other man's intentions, yet was not willing to give voice to his concerns. Besides, Tier always ended up confiding in him eventually. Mytho knew that if he remained patient, he'd eventually learn just what his best friend was hiding.

The coatrack finally finished scrubbing Tier's scales and dumped a final two bucket loads to wash off the rest of the soap before moving back. The draconic humanoid reached back to wring out his mane before flicking his good wing to remove some of the water; then reached back again to manually shake out his bad wing as best as he could. Johann presented him with a towel as he stood to dry off what little water clung to his scales before taking another towel to dry his wings and mane the rest of the way. One of the up-sides to scales and feathers was that they dried fast. His mane was an entirely different story because of how thick it was.

Mytho had long since moved back over to the dressing table by the time the transformed footman was satisfied and removed the towel from the scowling dragon-like man's head. "Was it _really_ necessary to get _every_ last drop of water out of my mane," he grumbled as he accepted the new dressing robe and donned it. "Considering I'm going to be working on styling it next," the enchanted coatrack retorted smugly, "Yes. Yes it was." "Just don't get carried away," Tier sighed as he walked back to his original seat. He was honestly a bit concerned as he knew full well that Johann liked to be…artistic…when he was given free rein to style people's hair. Back before the curse had been laid, he'd been in the habit of offering his services to guests whose prior hairstyles had been messed up on their journey over. The end results…could get pretty outlandish and weren't always appreciated.

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Mytho and his master both cringed at the first style the footman came up with. "It's not exactly the most…ah…dignified look," the candelabra tried to point out politely. Tier didn't even bother with trying to be polite about his displeasure. "I look ridiculous," he stated flatly as he vainly tried to flatten the extravagant curls his servant had somehow managed to coax his mane into, "Like I'm wearing one of those hideous wigs my great-great grandfather favored." "Ah, yes," the candlestick nodded sagely, "It's the ribbons, isn't it?" "And the rolled curls," the dragon-like man scowled. Johann sighed heavily, "Well then, what would you prefer, my lord?"

"I'm fine with just tying it back," Tier replied with as dismissive shrug. "No," the enchanted light fixture disagreed firmly, "This is a special occasion, so you must at least _try_ to look a bit more formal." "It's well within my abilities to make his lordship's preferred hairstyle look high-class," the coatrack stated confidently, "Just hold still…" The scaled man obeyed as the transformed footman set about removing all the ribbons plus the majority of the curls and brushing out his mane once more. It took a while, but Johann was eventually able to manage to tame it into a neat, yet still bushy, ponytail with a slight curl at the end.

As far as the draconic humanoid was concerned, it didn't look all that different aside from the curl and the fact that the footman had used a gold silk ribbon to tie it all back. Yet, from the way Mytho was nodding in approval, it must have been enough. "So are we done now," the dragon-like man asked with a quiet sigh. "Not quite," the ornate candlestick admitted, "We still need to polish your horns and scales before you get dressed for the evening." "Seriously," the cursed man deadpanned. "Surely you don't want to insult the lady by not striving to look your absolute best, my lord," the candelabra countered innocently. Tier flinched at that before heaving a heavy sigh and nodding. Insulting Ahiru was the absolute _last_ thing he wanted to do this evening. He continued to wait patiently for Johann to finish with his remaining tasks before the enchanted footman finally stepped away.

Mytho beamed in satisfaction at the results of his and the coatrack's efforts, "You look splendid, my lord. Don't you agree it was worth the effort?" Tier inspected his reflection curiously and had to admit he didn't look _terrible_. He still felt he looked like a monster, but at least he was a well-groomed one. It was an improvement. "I suppose," the dragon-like man admitted as he stood to walk back to his bedroom where his outfit for the evening had been laid out. "I'll take that as a 'thank you, Mytho, you've done excellent work and I was wrong to doubt you'," the enchanted candlestick grinned as he hopped down to follow his friend. "You do that," the scaled man replied dryly.

Once he arrived back at his chambers, he paused briefly as he reflected on how strange it was to have the floor _clean_ after so many years. Rue, however, had insisted on her cleaning staff being allowed to clear out all the junk he'd had scattered across the floor a week or two ago. Mostly because he'd invited Ahiru up to the balcony a few times to enjoy the view and her klutziness had kicked in again on one of those visits. The poor girl had tripped and fallen on her face before he'd had a chance to react; she'd ended up with a bloody nose. The mahogany feather-duster had been _livid_ and had actually spent a good hour screaming at him before making her demands. He'd given in without hesitation. He felt he should have _known_ the clutter on his chamber floor was an Ahiru safety hazard before inviting her up. it had been yet another bundle of guilt added on to the burden already weighing him down. Still, it was clean now and her subsequent visits had only involved her tripping over thin air…which was normal.

Snapping out of his brief flashback, he resumed his trek to the chair his outfit had been laid out on. Madame Koza had managed to out-do herself in designing what had to be the most princely looking ballet costume Tier had ever seen. The leggings were made of gray cotton that clung to his scales like a second skin and cut off just above his heels; the undershirt of dark red cotton fabric with puffed shoulders that was otherwise just as clinging. The actual shirt had rolled sleeves and was made of red silk embroidered with gold thread with a silver silk V-neck collar. Unlike all of his other shirts, the backs of both were not completely open for the convenience of his wings.

In place of the standard accommodation, Madame Koza had added in a loose panel of fabric over the back that would fold down between his wings and be held in place by the belt included with the rest of the outfit. The end result was that the feathered appendages would appear to be peaking out through slits in the back. The belt was black leather with an ornate silver buckle. Finally, she had added a gold chain set with emeralds to be hung across his shoulders. Tier was smoothing out the last few wrinkles in his outfit and fiddling with the chain so that it rested more comfortably when a knock came at his door. He looked up as it opened and Autor poked his head in.

"It's time, your highness," Autor informed him primly, "Miss Ahiru is waiting." The dragon-like man swallowed hard and took a deep breath to settle his nerves. This was it. His final night with Ahiru for he had no doubts that she would be packed and ready to leave by the next morning once he told her she was free to go. "Relax," Mytho told him from his new position on the dresser, "No matter what happens, this will be a night to remember. I believe in you, my friend." The scaled man stared at the candlestick in surprise for a few moments before a sad smile crossed his face. "I know," he replied quietly, "You've always supported my decisions even when they were beyond foolish. I can never thank you enough for that…" "I need no thanks," the candelabra smiled back kindly, "That's what friends are for." "I suppose it is," Tier mused before continuing as he started to walk towards the door, "I was not always the friend you deserved, though."

"Don't sell yourself short, my lord," the enchanted light fixture laughed as he hopped down from the dresser and followed, "In spite of that temper of yours, you have always been the truest friend I could ask for." "Even though I got us all cursed," the dragon-like man inquired softly. "I have never blamed you for that," Mytho retorted firmly, "As far as I'm concerned the only one at fault is that enchantress for over-reacting." The scaled man stared incredulously at his friend as they walked down the hall and pointed out, "I was willing to condemn what I thought was an innocent old woman to die in a storm because she insulted my pride." "A bit more of an extreme outburst of temper on your part than normal, but nothing we weren't used to compensating for," Mytho countered, "If that crone persona of hers had been real, either Raetsel or myself would have chased after her and set her up in the stables for the night." "That's still no excuse for my behavior," Tier retorted guiltily.

"Listen to me," the candlestick insisted with a stern frown, "No matter what you think, you did _not_ deserve to be burdened with a death curse that night! A lesser curse would have been more than sufficient as a punishment for your behavior. The rest of the staff agree with me on that point. That's why we're all hoping you tell Miss Ahiru how you feel. Not because we want to be human again, but because we simply don't want you to die! You can't give up, my lord! No matter what!" The dragon-like was openly stunned by the heart-felt speech Mytho'd unleashed. His resolve remained unchanged, but it gave him hope that his servants would accept his decision sooner rather than later. No matter how much they might care for him or how much he cared for them in return…he could not tell Ahiru how he felt.

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Ahiru lightly patted the fancy bun Hermia's associates had managed to wrangle her long, wavy hair into and smiled slightly. She had to admit she actually did feel a bit like a princess after all of the primping and pampering they'd done; a ballerina princess. She giggled to herself at the thought as she continued her trek to the grand staircase leading down to the great hall. The red-head could honestly think of many other girls from back in the village who would fit the role of ballerina princess better than she did, but – considering it was her birthday – for this one night she would happily play pretend. As she reached the top of the stairs leading down to the main landing at the top of the grand staircase, she looked across the hall and her eyes widened slightly as she saw Tier hesitating at the top of the opposite flight of stairs.

He looked like he'd stepped off of the pages of a fairy tale. 'One about a handsome prince,' she mused to herself as she started down the stairs, 'Cursed by a wicked witch who…um…hated his parents! And cursed their son into the form of a hideous monster in revenge, but even her curse could not hide his noble heart! Or something like that.' Ahiru smiled and shook her head slightly as she continued her descent as she considered how her dragon-like friend would react if he'd known what she'd been thinking. 'He'd call me a moron again,' the blue-eyed maiden admitted fondly, 'It's strange…but it almost sounds like an affectionate nickname when he calls me that instead of an insult.'

Tier felt his breath catch in his throat as he caught sight of the red-haired maiden he'd fallen for. Ahiru was dressed in a white silk, calf-length, romantic style tutu decorated with downy white feathers across the top and bottom of the bodice. The bottom also featured pale pink silk roses spaced evenly along the border between bodice and skirt. Around her neck was a gold necklace with an ornate ruby and carven quartz pendant that reminded him of nothing so much as a pair of fairy-like wings. Both wrists bore matching pearl bracelets consisting of white, yellow, and pale rose pearls. She had pink silk toe shoes on her feet covering white tights that disappeared under the shimmering white fabric of her skirt.

Her long, light red hair had been twisted into a bun held in place by a net of delicate braids woven with pale yellow ribbons. Perched just in front of the bun was a delicate golden tiara with even more downy white feathers running along the base; he recognized it as one that had once belonged to his mother before her death. The feathers were a new addition, though. One of his servants must have found and modified it for her use. Somehow he imagined his mother would have approved. As he drew near, he also noticed that Ahiru was wearing light make up; pale rose rouge graced her lips and was dusted across her cheekbones, but no more. Overall…she looked stunningly beautiful. 'She looks like an angel,' he concluded as he met her at the top of the grand staircase, 'The only thing she's missing is the wings…'

The dragon-like man knew he could easily spend the rest of the night just staring at her, but that would be rude. Autor and Mytho both had given him a fairly extensive lecture on the way down from his chambers about being polite. In fact, they had both insisted that he remember his old etiquette lessons – specifically the once regarding courtly behavior and manners – this evening. Which meant he needed to _stop staring_ ; Tier mentally shook himself out of the slight daze her appearance had put him in before silently bowing formally to her. Ahiru blinked in surprise as he straightened back up and murmured with a soft smile on his face, "Good evening, my lady." "U-um," she stammered awkwardly, "G-good evening…" The smile on his face widened slightly in amusement as he held out his hand; hesitantly, she reached out to take it. The red-head was even more caught off guard when he raised her hand to his mouth and lightly brushed his scaled lips across the back of her hand in a light kiss. "Wh-what," she stammered while blushing furiously, "What was that for?!"

"Mytho and Autor insisted I be a gentleman this evening," her draconic friend replied as he released her hand, "Which means courtly manners. I imagine you've never experienced such a thing before?" "No," the blue-eyed maiden shook her head vigorously making her friend laugh lightly in response, "Rue didn't tell me about any of that when she stopped by to go over all the etiquette Autor was probably going to expect from me." "Then I guess I should explain what the kiss was for," Tier replied with a soft smile, "It is considered polite to kiss the back of a lady's hand after bowing to them. Did she tell you about how I'm supposed to escort you to dinner and later the ballroom?" "That she did cover," Ahiru nodded back before biting her bottom lip, "Um, is that next?" "It is," the dragon-like man confirmed as he held out his arm, "Shall we?" The birthday girl smiled up at him shyly as she took his arm, "Let's."

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Judging by the way the red-head's eyes lit up when the first course was brought out, Autor had succeeded in arranging the perfect birthday dinner. Tier smiled lightly as he realized that the clock had picked out all of her favorite dishes from past dinners over the course of her stay in the castle to fill the menu. Another soft laugh escaped him as he watched Ahiru dive into the light soup placed before her. She was the only girl he'd ever known who could inhale a meal _politely_. The dragon-like man sipped quietly at his own bowl as he watched her eat. Sadly, even with his talons trimmed, filed, and polished, they were still too long for him to use utensils like a gentleman should. Fortunately, the young woman sitting across from him didn't care about such things after a full season in his company. She was used to the limitations his body forced upon him and only offered him a sympathetic smile as she set her spoon down.

Slowly, the pair worked their way through the simple four course dinner Autor had arranged until finally it was time for the dessert course. The blue-eyed maiden gasped in surprise as her eyes widened at what was brought out and set on the table in front of them, "This is…?!" "I stopped by the kitchens yesterday to inform Hans about how your birthday dinners normally ended," Tier informed her quietly as she gaped at the delicate-looking white cake covered in a crisp, sugary glaze and decorated with candied yellow rose petals that had been set down, "And he assured me he could come up with something suitable for, in his words, the brightest ray of sunshine to grace this household in ages." "This is…all mine," Ahiru breathed as she looked up at her friend in amazement, "Really?!" The dragon-like man nodded back silently before gesturing at the cake, "Hans may be the head chef, but his real love is baking. His specialty is making cakes that I swear are mostly air and sugar. He doesn't make them very often though."

Tier paused for a few moments before smiling softly at the red-head, "He always insisted that the secret ingredient to making his special cakes was love. That he had to care about the occasion it was to be made for. Personally, I always found that claim to be a bit cheesy. Nevertheless, based on how it looks alone…I'd say he cares a great deal for making your birthday special." "This," the blue-eyed maiden blinked as happy tears started to well up in her eyes, "Is his present to me, isn't it?" "Most likely," the draconic man nodded before questioning softly, "Do you like it?" "I love it," she replied as she picked up one of the rose petals and looked at it curiously. "You can eat those, you know," the dragon-like man pointed out in amusement. "People eat flowers," Ahiru gaped in surprise. "Certain ones, yes," her friend smiled lightly, "Candied rose and violet petals, for example, are sort of a delicacy among the nobility. Try one." The young woman looked at the scaled man doubtfully before popping the petal into her mouth. Her eyes widened in amazement at the taste. It was really good!

"I never knew flowers could taste so delicious," she admitted after swallowing. "It's the sugar that does it," Tier laughed softly, "Never let it be said that we don't find bizarre ways of indulging the almighty sweet tooth." "So if this is all mine," the red-head frowned in confusion as she started cutting herself a slice of cake, "What will you be having for desert?" Tier looked behind him as the serving staff re-entered the dining hall and grinned lightly, "Candied strawberries apparently. Excellent!" "You like candied strawberries," Ahiru blinked in surprise. "They're probably my favorite sugary treat," he admitted with a slightly sheepish smile. "I prefer chocolate covered strawberries myself," the young woman smiled as she watched the serving staff – a sugar bowl and cream decanter – slide the bowl of sugar-glazed fruit off the cart and onto the table before wrestling it in front of their master.

"Never tried those before," the dragon-like man admitted thoughtfully as he delicately picked up a strawberry, "Are they good?" The blue eyed maiden swallowed her first bite of cake before replying, "They're heavenly! Pike gave me a box last year for my birthday and I practically demolished them. Admittedly, it's the _only_ time I've had them, but they are just so good! I'll never forget the flavor…the richness of the chocolate goes perfectly with the tart sweetness of the strawberry… Mmmm… Just remembering it makes my mouth water…" "Now you're making me wish the kitchens hadn't run out of chocolate years ago," Tier sighed after swallowing his third strawberry. The two stopped talking for a while after that as they polished off their respective deserts before setting back in their chairs. "That was so good," Ahiru sighed happily. "You aren't too full to dance, are you," her dragon-like friend inquired uneasily. "No," the red-haired young woman shook her head before tilting it to the side curiously, "You?" "Not in the least," he replied.

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Ahiru's breath caught in her throat as she was led into the ballroom. It had been locked tight back when she'd been looking for a place to practice, so this was her first time seeing it. For one thing, the room was easily one of the largest in the castle with only the great hall being larger. It also featured a very high ceiling. Three of the four walls were covered in a smooth, alabaster white plaster which covered in a delicate, green arabesque pattern. Both side walls were lined with oaken pillared blind arcades inlaid in the plaster featuring lattice windows all the way down to the fourth wall. This final wall was dominated by four large mullioned windows and a gracefully carved oaken door leading outside. She knew from her exploration of the grounds that there was a broad stone patio flanked by sweeping stone staircases that led down to the gardens below just outside those doors, though this was her first time seeing them from _this_ side. The walls above the blind arcade were far from featureless for they featured several stained glass windows, though since it was night she could not quiet make out the designs. Furthermore, set immediately above each oaken pillar, were dual pronged golden candle sconces that were all lit up.

The ceiling was coffered in a coved vault style. The coffer cells were all enameled in a lovely blue and gold floral pattern surrounding a white enameled rosette. Hanging down from the apex of the vault was a massive, neoclassical crystal chandelier with gold chains. It too was fully lit providing brilliant illumination as the light from the candles scattered and refracted off of the multitude of crystals. The floor was tiled with brilliant white marble that fit together just as tightly as the stone tile in the ballet studio. All the light colored wood and stone combined with the multiple light fixtures meant the room was remarkably bright considering it was well after nightfall. Autor had kept his decorating fairly understated. Pale blue silk sashes framed the blind arches, pinned in place with upholstery nails, and were tied off with golden cords.

Four small cedar wood tables were set up in the four corners of the room each bearing one delicate china vase holding a bouquet of dried roses. Each bouquet featured a different colored rose that complimented the vase. The table to the left of the door had pale red roses almost the same shade as her hair in a white vase with a delicate dark blue paisley pattern painted on it and a thin silver line painted around the foot. The table to the right had orange roses in a pink and gold vase with white scroll work scrawling delicately over the warm background colors. Across the room to the left of the door outside was a bouquet of white roses in a pale lavender and light red vase with gold painted around thinly the rim and in a scrolling wave around the foot. Finally, in the last corner, was a bouquet of yellow roses in a pale blue and light green vase with silver painted around the rim and foot.

A soft hum of approval escaped her friend as he cast his eyes across the room's decorations and noted that Mytho and her other friends among the staff were clustered along the wall with a small pile of sloppily wrapped gifts setting on top of one of the serving staff – a tea service cart Raetsel had likely coaxed into assisting. Ahiru's eyes teared up again as she noticed the same. She knew how hard it must have been for them to wrap their present's for her considering most of them lacked hands, and was touched that they had gone through all this trouble just for a simple commoner like her.

"Is something wrong," Tier asked quietly as he turned to face her and noticed her tears. "No," the red-haired young woman laughed with an awkward grin as she wiped at her eyes with her free hand, "I just feel so grateful to have made so many wonderful friends… I don't think I've ever been happier, but I can't stop crying. Silly, isn't it?" "Not at all," the dragon-like man replied as he gently brushed another tear slipping down her cheek away with his knuckle and smiled back, "If your heart needs that release to keep itself from being drowned in an overwhelming tide of joy, then there is nothing wrong with that. Tears of happiness are infinitely more preferable to those of sorrow or despair. So don't feel ashamed to cry."

The dragon-like man swore that the smile she gave him in response to his words was the most captivating thing he had ever seen. 'Like sunbeams shining through raindrops after a storm,' he marveled internally. Moments later the band, which had shuffled in behind them behind an eager Autor, started tuning up. They sounded a bit rusty, but then the last time they'd played they'd been human. He'd no idea if they'd practiced making music in their new forms since they were all cursed. Still, they seemed to be working themselves out fast enough. Tier took a few steps away from the diminutive red-head and smiled down at her as she gave him a puzzled look before miming a request to dance. Ahiru's eyes lit up as she smiled back and delicately took his hand. Seconds later the band, under the prim clock's direction, struck up his selection: the Sleeping Beauty Waltz. Instead of going with the traditional dance created for the song, the pair made up their own pas de deux step by step.

It had been the draconic humanoid's suggestion to make up their own dance to whatever piece of music the enchanted chamberlain ended up selecting for the evening. The young woman had been uncertain until he pointed out that she wouldn't have to worry about sticking to a set choreographed routine and could dance freely. She'd always fretted about messing up what she was supposed to do in the past, so the idea of making up her own half of the pas de deux was appealing. Yet she had been concerned about _his_ half. How would he know what to do or when to do it in response to her actions? Tier assured her that he had enough experience in practicing ballet that he could read her moves and so predict the most likely thing she was going to do next. As they danced that evening, Ahiru realized he hadn't been lying. He not only mirrored her moves perfectly, but also was exactly where he needed to be when she needed his support for a lift, dip, or pirouette.

She gradually realized that it wasn't just because he knew ballet…it was because he knew _her_ and how she danced. They'd spent so much time practicing together and just chatting that he probably knew her even better than Pike did, and the two girls had been friends since childhood. Ahiru trusted him implicitly, and that was startling considering how they had started out. She wasn't sure how she felt about that, really. 'It's just that,' she defended her feelings to herself as they continued to dance, 'He is always willing to help me out when I need it, even when it's inconvenient for him. And he's always willing to just sit and listen when I need to talk. And he can be so nice and comforting when he tries. He's always there when I need him to be and keeps his distance when I need to be alone… It's why he's my best friend.'

Thinking that made her feel a twinge of guilt for replacing her long-time, magenta-haired friend so easily; they'd been pretty regular ever since she came to the realization that she saw Tier as being her best friend now. It wasn't as though she didn't still miss her childhood best friend and that she didn't get depressed sometimes because of that. Because the fact was that, in spite of her contentment, she desperately wished she could share the experience with Pike…and her father now that she thought about it. She'd never had a birthday without either of them being present before, and she realized that she desperately wanted them to be here with her now.

Sure, she had Tier and all her other friends, but the more she thought about it the more wrong it felt to celebrate her birthday without her father and childhood friend. She wanted _everyone_ she loved to be here to share in her special day. Ahiru sighed sadly as she acknowledged, yet again, that what she wanted was never going to happen. It didn't stop her from wanting it, though, and the warring state of wanting yet knowing the want was impossible caused her to feel increasingly troubled. Tier did not fail to notice the slightly upset look that kept flickering across his partner's face as they danced and was honestly starting to grow a bit concerned. 'Something's bothering her,' he concluded as their dance drew to a close, 'I can tell. But she's trying so hard to mask it that I can't ask what it is without making things awkward…' He'd just have to wait until the opportunity presented itself.

Soon the final notes of the song rang out and the two dancers held the final pose of their pas de deux until the last note faded. Then the dragon-like man set the blue eyed maiden back on the ground and smiled softly at her as he gestured to the rolling table of gifts against the wall, "So are you ready to open your presents?" Ahiru buried her feelings of longing as she smiled back brightly, "Of course! Um…are you going to be escorting me again?" "That is the polite thing for me to do," he replied before tilting his head inquisitively, "Does that bother you?" "Not really," the red-head laughed sheepishly as she scratched the side of her head, "I'm just not used to being escorted everywhere is all." "There's no need to feel embarrassed by your lack of experience," her draconic friend smiled gently as he held out his arm for her to grab onto once more, "Nobody here thinks any less of you for it."

A teasing tone entered his voice as he continued, "In fact, I'm impressed you've avoided making any major mistakes. I've always found court manners to be one of the most convoluted aspects of my station, and I grew up learning all the intricate little nuances. Rue's clearly a better etiquette instructor than I ever realized." "Eh," Ahiru yelped, "I've made mistakes?! What?! When?! Where?!" Tier burst out laughing as she panicked earning him an annoyed look from the birthday girl. "You were teasing me again weren't you," she grumbled. "Sorry," the dragon-like man shrugged with a soft chuckle.

The truth was he thought the little pout she got when she was annoyed with him was absolutely adorable, and he'd been struggling against the temptation to indulge himself one last time all evening. It had been a miracle he'd lasted as long as he did, yet his resistance finally crumbled in the end. The draconic humanoid still had an amused look on his face as they reached the table they'd been heading for, and Ahiru's look of annoyance had faded to a slight pout. However, she started to giggle as Uzura started bouncing in place eagerly and gushed, "It's Ahiru-zura! Look at all the presents-zura! There are lots-zura! Open them! Open them-zura!" "Patience, Uzura," Raetsel scolded gently, "Let her take her time. It's her birthday after all." The little teacup pouted petulantly as she stopped bouncing, "I know that-zura…"

Ahiru slowly worked her way through the small pile and the smile on her face slowly grew wider as she unwrapped each gift. Mytho had made her a small sculpture of a swan out of melted candlewax with black seed beads for eyes. "It wasn't easy to make since I don't really have fingers," the candelabra grinned wryly as he waved the two candles he had in place of hands, "But it still came out pretty well. Besides, it's not as though I have any shortage of raw materials." "It's beautiful! I love swans! Thank you, Mytho," the red-head beamed as she cradled the slightly misshapen sculpture delicately in her hands before setting it off to the side and moving on to the next gift.

Rue had coerced her maids to help her make a simple hair clip out of her own feathers as a present. "Unfortunately, I wasn't able to do much more than provide the materials and describe how I wanted the finished product to look," the feather-duster sighed before smirking smugly, "Not that I stopped hovering over the girls who actually did the work at any point. I wanted your present to come out perfectly!" Ahiru ran her fingers through the soft black feathers trailing down from the woven blue silk that attached them to the metal of the clip as her smile widened. "I've never owned any sort of fancy hair ornament like this before," she admitted, "It's so pretty… Thank you, Rue!" "It's just a hair clip," the head maid huffed before smiling back, "But you're welcome, Ahiru."

Raetsel had made her a small box of the blue-eyed maiden's favorite tea blend. "I know how much you love my special herbal tea," the teapot smiled gently, "So I thought I'd make a batch especially for you." Ahiru had her nose buried in the cheesecloth wrapped satchels inside the box as she inhaled deeply before raising her head with a happy sigh. "So good…," she breathed blissfully, "I don't even have to brew it… I can just breathe it in… Thank you, Mrs. Raetsel." "I'm glad you like it," the painted woman bowed her head politely. Next was a present from Johann the footman, though he was not present to be thanked. He'd given her one of his special styling combs along with a note explaining that 'hair as lovely as hers deserved an equally fine comb to make it shine'. She admired the comb's many fine teeth before reading the letter and giggling at his wording. She didn't think her hair was all that special, but it was still nice to hear that he thought otherwise.

There was also a package from Madame Koza and her 'girls' that contained a beautiful fur-lined winter cloak as well as a matching set of gloves and a hat. The seamstress had also included a note explaining that she knew the young woman already had a functional winter cloak, but that there was a difference between 'functional' and 'quality'. 'Really, this whole ensemble has been designed to combat the nasty winters we get out here. This new cloak will keep you far warmer when you go out than your old one,' the note continued, 'Even in high winds. The gloves are triple layered with waterproofed leather on the outside to keep your hands warm and dry no matter what. The hat is of similar construction. I do hope they serve you well in years to come.' Ahiru buried her face in the furry lining of the cloak and sighed happily. It was the softest thing she had ever felt and already made her face all nice and toasty.

Uzura's present was the last package, yet it was also the most emotionally moving for the young woman. All that was in the box was a shiny piece of milky white quartz. "His name is Shine-Shine the 2nd-zura! He's one of my shiny friends," the blue-eyed teacup explained proudly, "But now I want Ahiru to have it-zura!" The red-haired maiden's eyes teared up slightly at that as she leaned over to kiss the little cup on her rim, "Thank you so much, Uzura… It really means a lot that you were willing to let me keep one of your friends…" "Shine-Shine's family is okay with him going with you, so I'm okay with it too-zura," the little teacup chirped happily.

Ahiru sniffed as she wiped her tears away before she realized there was a present missing and turned back to her dragon-like friend with an uncertain frown. "Did you," she asked hesitantly, "Not get me anything?" "My gift for you is a bit different from everyone else's," Tier explained with a slightly melancholy smile before taking her hand, "Come with me." The blue-eyed young woman blinked in confusion, but followed along as he led her towards the doors leading out onto the patio. ==================================this+is+a+line+break====================================

Tier did not stop until he reached a stone bench at the edge of the patio and gestured for her to take a seat. She did so with a curious look as he sat down next to her. He then took a deep breath before turning to face her with a gentle expression on his face, "Ahiru, I'm going to be completely honest. I owe you. You've changed my life in so many ways during your stay in my castle, and in all ways those changes have been for the better. I genuinely cannot remember a time when I have been happier, and it is all thanks to you." Ahiru blushed and gaped in shock as she stammered, "B-but…I didn't even do that much, and you got hurt because of me…" "I was just as much at fault for that incident and you know it," the dragon-like man countered flatly before he sighed, "Besides, what makes you think it was anything special you did that made me change?" "Eh," the red-haired young woman blinked in confusion, "But you said…"

The scaled man cut her off as he raised a talon to cover her lips and smiled gently at her, "All you did was simply be _you_. That was enough to inspire me. I know you don't think much of yourself, but believe me when I tell you that you are a rare treasure in this world. You are like hope incarnate. A warm, comforting light that can draw even the most wretched soul out of the depths of despair. I should know. I was one such soul before you came into my life. You saved me, Ahiru, and I owe you for that." He lowered his hand back to his lap as Ahiru stared back at him in surprise for a few moments before a brilliant smile spread across her face. "You don't owe me anything, Tier," she told him kindly, "If you say my presence is what helped you the most, then I'm glad I was able to be of service…" The red-head trailed off as a troubled look flickered across her face again and Tier's eyes narrowed.

"Somethings been bothering you all evening," he observed before frowning in concern, "What is it?" "It's nothing really," the blue-eyed maiden shook her head slightly before wincing as her dragon-like friend shot her a look of piercing skepticism and then admitted with a sigh, "I just…miss Pike, and Herr Katzenhaft…and my father a lot. I didn't really get a chance to say goodbye and I just…wish I could see them again…even if just for a moment." Tier cringed internally as his guilt surged and he almost blurted out that she was free to go if she wanted to. Yet it occurred to him that there was another, more subtle way he could lead up to that reveal that would also let her see the family and friends she longed for. "There is a way," he confessed quietly before standing and holding out his hand, "Come with me, and I'll show you." ==================================this+is+a+line+break====================================

The dark-scaled man led the young woman up to his room and left her next to the wilting rose as he retrieved the item he had in mind from the shelf it rested on. Tier passed the ornate green, silver, and gold book into her hands as he explained quietly, "This book is special. All you need to do is brush your fingers across the lock, open it, and tell it what you wish to see. It will project an illusion of whatever that person, place, or thing you want." Ahiru gazed down at the book for a few moments before following his instructions and murmuring, "Show me Pike Falkenrath, please." The pages lit up before the light spiraled up into a vortex and the image of a sleepy young woman with magenta-hair and violet eyes took shape. The red-head's eyes widened as she watched her friend move around her room while getting ready for bed and breathed in awe, "It's her… It's really her! Tier, this is amazing! How long have you had this?!"

"It's a family heirloom," he shrugged as he studied the illusory young woman curiously, "I don't use it all that often, though. I usually forget it even exists." "I don't think I could ever forget something this incredible," the blue-eyed maiden admitted before frowning in bemusement, "Um, how do I get it to show me something else?" "Just close it, re-open it, and repeat what you did the first time," Tier replied. Ahiru followed his directions before telling the book a bit more confidently, "Show me Herr Medwin Katzenhaft." The book promptly projected the image of a dozing greying-violet haired man with a cup of tea balanced on his lap. "That's him," she exclaimed eagerly, "My old ballet teacher!" "The one who was a retired dancer himself," the dragon-like man inquired as he studied the man curiously. He'd heard a lot about him from the red head over the past few months.

Ahiru nodded as she studied the image carefully, checking to see if he was well, and relaxing as she noted he looked as healthy as always. She then shut the book, re-opened it, and requested eagerly, "Show me my father!" After seeing Pike and her old dance instructor were doing well, she anticipated much the same for her father…which was why the image that formed drew a startled quack from her lips before she cried out, "Papa!" She stared in horror at her father's illusory form stumbling weakly through the mountains in a howling gale before falling to his knees and coughing harshly. Tier frowned in concern at the old smith's condition; it was clear he would die without help. "He's sick," the red-head whimpered, "And all alone! He could die! What is he even doing out here?! Oh, God, please no… Papa…"

The dragon-like man felt his chest tighten as he realized this was his chance. She wouldn't question why he was releasing her if he told her now. Not in these circumstances, yet now that the time had come…it was a struggle to speak the words. His eyes drifted over to the dying rose resting on the table next to her before he slowly shut them and took a deep breath. It was now…or never. "Go to him," he told her quietly. "What," Ahiru gasped as her eyes snapped to her friend's somber face. "Your father needs you, Ahiru," the scaled man replied as he re-opened his eyes to stare at the rose once more, "Go to him. You are free to leave whenever you choose." "Are you saying…what I think you are," the blue-eyed maiden asked uncertainly. Tier sighed heavily and turned his gaze to meet hers, "I'm releasing you from our deal. You are no longer my prisoner, Ahiru, and I will not seek to reclaim your father. This I promise you."

The red-haired young woman stared blankly at him for a few moments as she processed his words before she finally whispered incredulously, "I'm free? You really mean that?" "Yes," Tier replied quietly, "Now go. Your father is counting on you, remember?" Ahiru gave him a quavering smile as she whispered, "Thank you…" She then turned her attention back to the book in her hands and took a deep breath before murmuring, "Hold on, Papa… I'm coming! Don't die!" She then shut the book and started to hand it back to her dragon-like friend before he shook his head. "Keep it," he murmured with a sad smile, "Consider it a gift and a memento. So you will always have something to remember me by…"

The blue-eyed maiden took the book back, hugged it to her chest, and smiled up at him gratefully, "Thank you so much, Tier. For everything…" She then hesitantly reached out to place her hand on his cheek which he then covered with his own as he gazed back at her sadly. He knew this would be the last time he ever saw her face, felt her touch on his scales, and was desperately committing every last second to memory. "Just don't forget me," he whispered softly, "Because I know I will _never_ forget you. Goodbye, Ahiru…" "I promise," she vowed with a gentle smile, "Goodbye, Tier. And thank you again." She then pulled her hand away, turned gracefully on her heel, and raced out of the room as he watched her go with a shuddering sigh. ==================================this+is+a+line+break====================================

Five minutes after Ahiru ran out of his room, and his life, Autor and Mytho turned up at the door with matching looks of anticipation on their faces. "So," the candelabra inquired curiously, "How did it go?" "Do you even have to ask? Did you not see how happy Ahiru looked when we passed her earlier," the clock scoffed scornfully before a confidant smile crossed his carven visage, "There is no doubt that she will be receptive when you confess your true feelings, my lord, after you have had such success in charming her this night. Well done! Well done indeed!" Tier only sighed as he stared down at the dying rose before murmuring brokenly, "I'm going to die."

"Yes, yes, you're going to," the enchanted timepiece started to repeat indulgently before his master's words registered and he choked in shock, "Wait… Wait, wait, wait… You're going to what?! Why?!" The three-pronged candlestick remained silent as the dragon-like man turned his heartbroken gaze on his servants and admitted, "I let Ahiru go without telling her how I feel, and at the rate the rose is wilting…I likely only have a few weeks left. She won't return before then if she ever does… I'm going to die…" "Why would you do something so foolish," Autor screeched before yelping as Mytho shoved the flame of one of his arm-candles into the clock's side.

"I suspected you were planning something like this, my lord," the candelabra sighed as he hopped over to his liege's feet before looking up at him sadly, "I was hoping I was wrong though. Just tell me one thing. Why? Why did you let her go?" "Her father was lost in the mountains and possibly dying," Tier explained softly as his gaze drifted back to the rose, "There was no one else who could possibly reach him in time save for myself…and he would not trust my aid. Not after I stole his daughter from him. I had to let her go…for to do otherwise would have been to condemn an innocent soul to death by winter's chill… I'm not that cold-hearted…not anymore…" "Yes, yes," Autor finally huffed after soothing his burn, "I'm glad to hear you learned the lesson that enchantress seemed to feel she needed to curse us all for you to learn, but that still doesn't explain _why you let her go without telling her how you felt!_ "

"I couldn't tell her," the dragon-like man replied sadly. "Yes, but _why_ ," the clock repeated insistently. "Because," Tier admitted as his eyes slid shut and a single tear traced its path down his scaled cheek, "I love her… If I told her, and she by some _miracle_ happened to return my feelings… All I would have been able to give her would be a gilded cage when she deserves, more than anyone, to fly free. I love her far too much to chain her in such a way. So I chose to let her go without telling her and will pay for that decision with my life. Forgive me…" Mytho patted the grieving man comfortingly on his ankle with an understanding smile, "Oh, my friend, there is nothing to forgive." "Speak for yourself," Autor grumbled.

Tier sighed again and ran his hand through his hair as he looked down at his two servants, "I should inform the others…shouldn't I?" Mytho frowned in concern as he noticed the faint tremble in his masters knees has he continued to lean against the table the vase rested on and shook his head, "That won't be necessary. We can take care of that easily enough. Just get some rest. You've had a long day." The dragon-like man nodded slowly before he finally allowed a yawn to escape and rested even more of his weight against the table. It wasn't as though he had a reason to hide his exhaustion anymore. They knew his death was inevitable now, so they may as well know the process had already begun.

"Very well," the scaled man murmured tiredly, "I'll leave it to you both…and…tell them I'm sorry I wasn't a better master. You all deserved better than what you've had to put up with from me all these years…" "We will," the candelabra assured his friend as he started to sluggishly get undressed. The three-pronged candlestick then grabbed onto Autor and dragged him out of the room with a troubled look on his face. Mytho was no fool. He'd known Tier had been hiding something for a while now, but for it to be something like this… It was all he could do to keep from breaking down in tears from sheer grief for his dear friend's sake.

"I don't know why you're being so accepting of all of this," the clock snarled as he shook free halfway down the hall, "Don't you realize what's going to happen now?!" "Yes," Mytho replied grimly, "I do. In fact, it's already happening." The enchanted timepiece blinked in surprise before directing an uneasy look at his companion, "Dare I ask what you mean by that?" The ornate candle-holder halted and turned to gaze straight into the young chamberlain's eyes, "You heard him yourself. His lordship is on his last two weeks of life, and I noticed he's started showing symptoms." "Come again," Autor frowned.

"He's exhausted right now in spite of the fact that he didn't exert himself nearly enough to be even mildly fatigued," the candelabra explained with a serious look, " I think…he's starting to weaken." "But that would mean that," the clock's eyes widened in horror as the maitre'd nodded solemnly, "He's already dying…" Sheer grief and heartbreak suffused Mytho's voice as turned away to resume his progress down the hall, "I've no doubt this is why he's been so oddly passive these past few days… Why he was telling us how much he appreciated us… He was saying goodbye… I'm going to lose my brother in all but blood…and there's nothing I can do for him…"

 **A/N:** OH MY GOD, WHY?! WHY DO I FEEL SO DRIVEN TO DESCRIBE SO MUCH ARCHITECTURAL DETAIL WHEN I KNOW NEXT TO NOTHING ABOUT ARCHITECTURE!? GAAAAAAAAAAAH! Sorry. The description of the ballroom and all the research I had to do in order to learn the right terms to use for what I was seeing in my head…kind of got to me. Reference the site from chapter four if you need clarification on the terms used. There is no significance to the color of the roses used as decoration. I just stuck them in because I thought they looked pretty in my mental image of the scene. On another note, in case anyone was wondering, Ahiru's outfit is meant to be reminiscent of Princess Tutu's costume…only as a romantic tutu and not what I am _assuming_ is supposed to be either a pancake tutu or a Balanchine tutu. Her necklace is supposed to be the one she wears as Tutu. It is also a pain to try to describe in one sentence. Bleh… I was listening to the Sleeping Beauty Waltz on YouTube while I wrote the dance scene, by the way. I realize selecting part of a piece composed in 1890 sets a specific time period this story _must_ be set in. Unless you stop thinking of this as being set in a historical analogue of Europe and start treating it as fantasy Europe…which is what it actually is. This is not set in the real Germany, and it is not in the real Europe though it has the cultural influences and language of both. And because this is fantasy, that means I can play around with the details… Which means Tchaikovsky could have been born back in the 15th, 16th, or 17th century in this fantasy world! And ballet as an art form could have been around even longer too! I love creative license… Finally, longest chapter to date for this fic at 24 and slightly over 1/8th pages counting author's notes; it's the detail that did it. Detail makes everything longer. 'Tis the truth! Now I will stop before this chapter gets any longer. See you all next chapter!


	11. Homecoming

**A/N:** For those of you who were wondering…yes, the end of the last chapter was deliberately calculated to cause all of the sad feelings. It also took me forever to finish because it did not want to be written just like the three before it. I'm also aware it got a bit cheesy in places. I'm really not good at writing romantic stuff, so it tends to either come out like the two characters involved are no more than really close friends….or it's a cheese fest. Sometimes I'm lucky enough to avoid both and have it work perfectly. This does not seem to be happening with this story so far. There may be future re-writes as I attempt to fix that. In other news I estimate I have maybe three chapters left before this story is over. This is, of course, discounting all the time I am going to spend editing this before it is even posted. But the first draft is almost done. Yays! We are moving steadily towards the climax of the third act! Double yays! And my favorite scene in the entire bloody movie! ALL OF THE YAYS! I love death scenes… I really do… Well, I won't get there if I keep delaying on writing this chapter. So I'm gonna stop talking and write. Here we go!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not, have not, and will never own any of the things I am using for this fic. This includes Princess Tutu and Beauty and the Beast (either version) which belong to their respective owners.

Chapter 10: Homecoming

"He what," the small group of servants Mytho and Autor had managed to collect in the parlor yelped. "His highness," the clock repeated tightly, "Has elected to release Lady Ahiru without confessing and so has condemned himself to death." "No," Rue whispered heartbrokenly as she leaned into her fiancé's side, "Oh no… He was so close to winning her over… How could he do that?" "He couldn't bear to see her caged any longer," the candelabra sighed, "We all knew he felt his station in life was a gilded cage, and he truly does love her with all his heart. I should have realized his feelings for her would prevent him from subjecting her to the same fate…"

"Our dear prince has learned how to love again at long last," Raetsel closed her eyes and shook her painted head sadly, "I thought I would be happy when this day finally came, yet instead… I cannot help but grieve. We're going to _lose_ him…" Uzura, who had been listening in, had not understood all this talk about dying, but she did understand one thing. "Ahiru is leaving us-zura," she whimpered quietly as she lowered her gaze sadly. The adults around her didn't notice the distraught teacup start to shiver as she tried not to cry; they were too involved in their conversation.

"So that's it then," Rue snapped angrily, "We're just giving up on him?!" "There isn't much that we _can_ do, my lady," Mytho replied with a despondent sigh, "He's made his choice and Ahiru has already returned to her room to pack. Besides, are you really willing to stop her from leaving to rescue her father from freezing to death in a winter storm?" "No," the feather duster admitted, "That would make me no better than what that damned enchantress accused his lordship of being… But one of us could tell her the truth about how he feels for her! It might not have the same weight as an actual confession, but we all _know_ he loves her!"

Uzura perked up slightly at hearing that her older friend hadn't left yet and her eyes sparkled as she came to a decision during this exchange. The little teacup hopped away from the continuing discussion with her newfound resolve firm in her mind. She would stow-away in her friend's belongings and follow her home and then, when she was least expecting it, the enchanted cup would pop out and ask her why she left before telling her about how Scaly Princey felt. She wanted them to be happy together! She didn't hear Autor's grim reply to Rue's outburst as she exited the parlor. "It wouldn't be enough," he countered, "She needs to return his feelings and there isn't enough time left for her to work out how _she_ feels about _him._ His body is already starting to fail."

"You didn't mention that before," Raetsel frowned in concern. Autor sighed, "I didn't want to bring it up before we'd all had a chance to come to terms with Lady Ahiru's departure, not to mention the imminent death sentence his lordship is now facing. Mytho is the one who pointed it out to me, so perhaps he would be best suited to explain." The other servants turned to face the increasingly depressed looking candelabra and he slowly started to explain how he'd pieced the clues together. "I'd been suspecting that he was hiding something for several days now," the Mytho admitted quietly, "I'm sure you all noticed how passive he's been recently, and have experienced at least one incident where he apologized for not showing how much he's appreciated a particular aspect of your relationship with him in the past?"

The other servants all nodded. "He stopped by the kitchens to tell Hans how much he's always enjoyed his cooking," Raetsel murmured uneasily, "And told me how much he appreciated my looking out for him ever since he was a little boy. He thanked me for it…" "I overheard him thanking Hermia for doing what she could to keep everyone's spirits up over the years," Rue frowned thoughtfully, "And a few hours later he even thanked _me_ for calling him out when I didn't approve of his behavior. I always thought it annoyed him when I did that, but _apparently_ he got that I only did so because I was worried about him…"

"He's been doing that with everyone over the past few days," Mytho sighed, "Those were my first clues that something was amiss. I started paying closer attention after I heard him thanking Madame Koza for the new wardrobe. That's when I noticed an oddly sad expression flicker across his face from time to time, and that he was starting to withdraw from all of us. The only one he didn't hold back from was Ahiru, yet even around her his behavior had changed. He'd get this look on his face when she was talking as though he was trying to commit everything about her in that moment to memory. As though he knew his time with her was going to be limited."

"I started suspecting that he's no intention of telling her the truth about his feelings around then, yet I held my tongue out of respect. Besides, I had no real proof, " Mytho closed his eyes and shook his head before continuing, "It wasn't until Autor and I spoke to him before coming down here that we learned _why_ he won't tell her. Yet I noticed something else that was far more concerning. You all know our lord has a bad habit of hiding when he's not feeling well, of course." "I've told him off for that on more than a few occasions, as have Autor and Raetsel," Rue observed dryly, "Not that it ever does any good."

"This evening, before we left him," Mytho admitted grimly, "He was looked unusually tired even when you consider this evening's activities. He barely seemed to have the energy to stand! Considering this is the same man who often spent hours practicing the most intense ballet practice routines I've ever seen and was somewhat winded afterwards…he should not have been that worn out. Particularly when you factor in the added strength and endurance of his current form... I think he's been hiding the fact that his health is taking a turn for the worse for at least as long as his odd behavior has been going on. He didn't want to hold off on saying his goodbyes until the last minute so he started early. He knows he's dying…and isn't hiding it anymore…"

"But that would mean," Raetsel gasped as Rue started to weep silently having come to the same realization, "He's already given up!" "He gave up years ago," the feather duster sobbed bitterly, "Believe me, I've had words with him over that many times in the past. I had thought Ahiru had gotten him over that, though!" "While she was around, he was over it," Mytho sighed sadly, "He seemed more alive these past few months than he has been since we were all children. And now he's let her go…"

"I suppose we should be grateful she was able to give him even that much relief," Autor admitted with a resigned shake of his head, "Yet I find it hard to do so." "Even a brief flash of hope that is there and gone is better than no hope at all," the candlestick scowled, "She gave him the chance to actually _live_ during his last days, and I will always be grateful for that." "As will I," the teapot agreed with a sad smile. "I feel the same," Rue sniffled, "Ahiru is my friend, after all. I could never regret knowing her even if…" "…Even if she could not save him," her fiancé finished for her as he gently brushed away her tears. ==================================this+is+a+line+break====================================

Even though she was in a hurry to reach her father, Ahiru packed very carefully after she changed out of her tutu. She had far more belongings to keep track of now than she had arrived with, after all. She was also trying to avoid waking the dozing wardrobe in the corner of the room. Hermia, it seemed, had worn herself out helping her get ready for the party earlier and the red-head felt it would be rude of her to wake her up. Though that would make it difficult for her to say goodbye to her slightly spazzy friend; she figured she'd write a letter and hope that would be enough. It took her a while to finish packing due to the care she was taking with her belongings and her attempts to keep her noise level to a minimum. She never noticed the small teacup slipping through the partly opened doorway, hopping up on her bed, and worming deep into her pack.

'Right,' she nodded to herself as she pulled the last of her clothes out of the sleeping wardrobe, 'Now all I need to do is pack these, wrap the rest of my presents in my cloaks, carry all this stuff outside, saddle up Fafnir, stash my extra things in his saddlebags, and I'll be ready… Oh, and I need to write Hermia a note! I should probably write the others a note too… Why am I always saying goodbye to my friends with notes? Is that weird?' "It's definitely weird," she mumbled to herself as she packed her clothes and laid her old winter cloak out across her bed. She then delicately placed Rue's hairclip, Mytho's wax swan, Johann's comb, Raetsel's box of tea, and Uzura's quartz piece in the middle before folding up her normal cloak and laying it on top of them for extra padding. Finally, she wrapped them all up in her winter cloak and tied it off with several of the ribbons that had been in her hair.

Aside from the presents she had been given, those ribbons were the only things from this night she would be taking with her. Tutu, tights, toe-shoes, tiara, and jewelry were all staying behind and had been left neatly on her bedside table. Tier's book was safely stashed in the middle of her pack, and she would be wearing Madame Koza's gifts. With her packing now completed, the young woman moved over to the writing desk where she wrote out her farewells to her friends in the castle. 'It's not like I'm saying goodbye forever, though,' Ahiru told herself as she tried to soothe the growing feelings of guilt gnawing at her gut, 'I can come back to visit in spring after Papa's better and I've had time to get him caught up on everything. Maybe I can bring Pike with me then and introduce her to everyone!'

She'd grown so used to the talking furniture, crockery, and ornaments that it no longer occurred to her that other people might not react to well to the strangeness of it all. She wanted to be free to spend time with both sets of friends, and she felt that the easiest way for this to be achieved was if they all met and liked each other. "I'll be back," she whispered as she finished writing her second note, "I promise." She then carried them both over to the table with the outfit she had worn that evening sitting on it, and slipped both notes under the tiara. That taken care of, she donned her winter gear, slung her pack over her shoulders, picked up the cloak wrapped bundle, and left her room for the final time.

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Alone in his room, Tier rested against the glass doors leading out onto his balcony. He'd only managed to remove the top layer of his outfit before his exhaustion caused his fingers to begin fumbling on the ties, and he decided to rest a bit to regain some strength. He lethargically shifted his position until he was facing the balcony, and pressed his forehead against the cool glass as he started to struggle against his growing feelings of despair. 'I don't want her to leave,' he admitted to himself, 'The thought of never seeing her face again…never hearing her voice again…never dancing with her again…never feeling her touch… I'm terrified of that. I want her to stay by my side forever even though I know my remaining time is limited… I don't want to die… Oh god, I _really_ don't want to die!' Yet, no matter how badly he wanted her to stay, he would not go back on his word.

He gritted his teeth and hissed angrily, "I've driven everyone around me away for years in order to protect myself from being hurt…and it only brought me greater misery… I am sick and tired of being a selfish coward who is ruled by his fear and despair! No longer!" Sadly, this didn't do anything to quell the feelings gnawing at his heart. "I have to go through with this," he reminded himself quietly, "Letting her go is the right thing to do…" Tier let out a tired sigh, stood up, and walked out onto his balcony. All the conflicting emotions roiling inside him were seriously getting to him, and he was hoping some fresh air might calm him down. Upon reaching the edge he sighed again and leaned heavily against the stone banister as he gazed across the gorge. He remained there, silent and staring, for almost an hour before his ears pricked at the sound of a horse's welcoming whinny.

Tier realized Ahiru must have finally reached the stables and finally was about to leave. Against his better judgement, he crossed to the edge overlooking the courtyard and looked down. He didn't see anyone, but all that meant was that she hadn't left the stable yet. The dragon-like man continued to observe the courtyard as he waited for one last glimpse of the girl he loved, and was rewarded with the sight of her distant figure leading her horse out into the courtyard. His throat tightened as a dull ache started to throb in his chest. In that one moment, he realized he had drastically underestimated his attachment to the girl. 'Is this what it feels like to be heartbroken,' he mused with an astonishing sense of detachment as he clutched at the banister so hard the stone crumbled under his grasp, 'It…hurts…' Yet he did not look away. Tier continued to watch as the distant figure of Ahiru's horse rode away down the bridge before he finally broke down. "Goodbye…Ahiru…," he murmured sorrowfully as the first few tears rolled down his scaled cheeks, "Goodbye…" His fate…was officially sealed.

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The brown gelding had no idea why he'd been taken out of his nice warm stall so late in the evening, but he wasn't too upset by it. It was nice to stretch out and run after being cooped up in a stable for a good month and a half. The little rides around the courtyard he'd been making do with were decent enough exercise, but _this_ … This was the sort of exertion he'd been craving. Fafnir just hoped they wouldn't run into any predators on this outing. That had been _terrifying_.

His two-legged-not-horse herd mate was muttering something to herself as they raced across the bridge and through the gates at the far side. To the horse, it was just noise with no real meaning so he didn't really pay it much heed. She did sound worried, though, which made _him_ feel a bit anxious. Worried two-legged-not-horse mouth noises never boded well. In his experience, a worried two-legged-not-horse was a good sign for the smart horse to get ready to bolt. That way the thing the two-legged-not-horse was worried about wouldn't have the chance to make him a _dead_ horse. As far as the gelding was concerned there was no problem too big that it couldn't be run away from.

They ran into a late snowstorm with heavy, gusting winds roughly a quarter of the way down the road down from the mountains and Fafnir was _not happy_. He neither knew nor cared that his wild ancestors regularly weathered storms like this out in the open. When it was this cold, windy, and all around miserable he knew exactly where he wanted to be: in a nice warm stable with plenty of hay to munch on. He tried to inform his not-horse herd-mate of his displeasure by pinning his ears back as far as they would go, but she was not taking the hint. The gelding wasn't even sure she was paying attention to him at all. She was yelling every so often and, by the way she was shifting her weight, was probably looking around at the same time.

The normally patient gelding was seriously starting to consider taking the bit in his teeth and heading back on his own when the wind brought an old familiar scent. It was his herd-master! Maybe if he found the old male two-legged-not-horse he could convince the younger not-horse that the smart thing to do was _go back_. The horse promptly started to follow the scent down the road until it trailed off into a dense thicket with a number of broken branches. Fafnir was confused. Why would his herd-master wander into such a pokey mess? Two-legged-not-horses were strange creatures. Still, he wanted out of the cold _now_. Finding his herd-master was the fastest way to make that happen, so he walked around the thicket. There was a small ravine on the other side, and the scent he'd been following was now really strong. They were close…

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"Papa," Ahiru cried fearfully, "Where are you?!" They'd been searching for a few hours now and she was getting really worried about her father. He'd looked terrible when the magic book showed him to her, and she shuddered to think of how much worse he could get without being dead. She had stopped paying attention to where Fafnir was taking her a while ago as her fear grew, so she was a bit puzzled when he started ambling around a random thicket. Still, his sense of smell had led them back to the castle when Tier had been wounded, so it was possible he'd picked something up now. She was desperate enough to find any trace of her father that she would trust even the gelding's senses.

As she peered into the snowy ravine on the other side she noticed two suspicious lumps partly obscured by a swirling covering of blowing snow. She couldn't clearly make them out, but it was more of a lead than she'd had so far. Ahiru jumped down into the snow and pulled her new cloak tightly about her shoulders before carefully making her way down to the bottom of the ravine. She approached the lumps, and one of them started to jolt as it emitted a bout of harsh coughing. The red-head immediately ran over to the lump, turned it over, and almost wept in relief and sorrow as she saw her father's pale face.

He was still alive, mercifully, but was also half-frozen. His cloak was soaked through for some reason making it useless for warding off the wind's chill. "Oh Papa," the red-head whispered as she pulled off her new cloak, "Hold on! Please just hold on!" She swiftly stripped his sodden cloak and replaced it as best she could with her own. At the very least it would protect him from the wind. Then she wrapped her arms around his chest and struggled to lift, and drag him through the snow and up the ravine. She had to get him up to Fafnir and on the gelding's back before anything else.

It was not easy. Ahiru was delicately built young woman and her father was a large, muscular man. Yet she persevered and eventually succeeded in getting him up the ravine. After that it was simply a matter of coaxing the gelding into kneeling, moving her father into position, and mounting up herself once the animal stood back up. She then spurred him into a swift canter as she raced down the road. She knew her father would only freak out if she took him back to the castle…which meant his only chance was for her to ride hard for Grünefelder. She only prayed she'd make it back in time...

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Fafnir, thankfully, did not falter once as they made their way down through the mountains. Even with the treacherous condition the roads were in from the winter storms and beginning thaw, he kept his footing. Ahiru was deeply grateful to the horse for how well he'd held up over the night's hard travel. It hadn't been easy for her either, though. She was shivering hard by the time they made it back to the valley Grünefelder lay nestled in, and the sun was just peaking over the horizon. They'd long since left the late winter storm behind, but the mountain nights were still cold. She could endure the chill, though. Her father needed haste more than she needed to warm up. Besides, the sun would help with that once it got higher in the sky.

Winter in the valley had mostly given itself over to spring which was in stark contrast to the firm grip it still held over the mountains. It made for far more pleasant travel conditions as the sun warmed the land and eased the chill in the air. She continued to ride on. Her father hadn't _seemed_ to get any worse as they'd traveled – aside from developing a slight fever – but he also hadn't woken up. She was worried; very worried. Unfortunately, she could tell that the gelding was starting to tire, so she knew they would need to stop and let him rest soon.

It was late morning by the time by the time the horse's exhaustion demanded a rest break. There was an old, abandoned barn nearby which the young woman figured was as good a resting spot as any. She guided her mount over to the half-collapsed structure and stopped just outside the sagging doorway. Ahiru slid her father off of the trembling equine's back and dragged him over to a pile of musty hay just inside the door before laying him down. She then returned to Fafnir's side, removed his tack, and pulled a cloth out of one of the saddlebags to rub him down. The gelding huffed tiredly once she finished and ambled off to a nearby patch of new spring grass. He was hungry.

The red head figured an hour would be enough time for the horse to recover his strength, and settled down next to her father to wait. As she waited, she pulled out the packet of food Hans had sent with her when she stopped by the kitchens before she left. She frowned thoughtfully as she reflected on how sad he'd been to hear she was leaving, but he'd still done his part to help her on her way. 'I'll have to remember to bring him a present to thank him next time I visit,' she concluded. Ahiru then dug into her food as she kept a watchful eye on her father's sleeping body. She really wished he would wake up…

Soon enough, the hour passed, she retrieved and re-saddled Fafnir, loaded up her father, and resumed the trek to Grünefelder. She set a brisk pace that she hoped would not lead to her having to make another stop before making it back. Ahiru turned out to have judged correctly for the horse managed the rest of the journey with ease, yet it was still late afternoon by the time they arrived at her childhood home. Her father, revived partly by the afternoon warmth, had started to stir and mumble feverishly by then.

This was partly a relief...but was also a bit of a problem. His restless movements made moving him much more difficult. However, the red-head felt it was a hopeful sign that he might recover from being half-frozen in a mountain storm. "Come on, Papa," she murmured quietly as she struggled to drag the man into the house, "Let's get you into bed and then I can go fetch a doctor to come look at you." All she got in return was an incoherent mumble.

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Ahiru ended up waiting until morning before leaving to fetch a doctor to check up on her ailing father. Charon's fever had worsened slightly by the time she got him settled in bed, and she ended up spending the night doing what she could to bring it back down. By morning it had stabilized, though, so she felt that chances were it wouldn't get too much worse if she left him untended long enough to get help. However, before she even made it to town she ended up running into Herr Katzenhaft and knocked the both of them over.

"Fraulein Ahiru," the retired ballerina gasped as he sat up, "So your father managed to rescue you after all!" "Eh," the red-head blinked in confusion, "Rescue? What are you talking about?" "Your father claimed that you were being held prisoner by some sort of monster," the man explained as he helped her back to her feet with a pained wince, "And has spent the past few months trying to either convince the villagers to help him save you or plan his own attempt."

"So that's why he was out in the mountains when I asked the book," Ahiru exclaimed before pouting, "And Tier's not a monster… Just because he's big and scaly…" "Tier," Herr Katzenhaft tilted his head to the side curiously, "Who is Tier?" "Long story," the blue-eyed maiden shook her head shortly, "I'll tell you later. I need to find a doctor to look at my father. He was half-frozen when I found him and now he has a really bad fever." "Ah," Herr Katzenhaft frowned in concern, "Perhaps you should return to his side then." "But he _really_ needs a doctor," Ahiru protested.

"And he'll have one," her old instructor informed her sternly, "I will fetch one myself. If his fever is really that bad then he shouldn't be left alone even for as long as it would take for you to reach town yourself. Go home, Ahiru. I'll take care of this." The red-head smiled brightly, "Really?! Thank you so much, Herr Katzenhaft!" "Happy to help," he replied before lightly pushing her shoulder, "Now go." The blue-eyed maiden did so, unaware of the small deception her old ballet teacher had pulled.

The retired dancer had only been telling her part of the truth. Yes, Charon's fever would require constant attention, but that wasn't the only reason he'd sent her back. If she went running through town when most of it was firmly convinced she'd died it would have started a panic. However, if it was through rumor and gossip that news of her return was spread…it would be less of a shock as they would have had time to ease themselves into the knowledge that she had simply been trapped in the mountains.

The old ballet instructor was a bit puzzled by how she'd reacted to hearing about her father's intent to rescue her, though. Charon had been absolutely _convinced_ that his daughter had been in dire peril the entire time she was gone. Ahiru, however, didn't act like someone whose life had been in danger for several months. Aside from her clear concern over her father, her behavior was no different than it had been when she'd last attended class. In fact, about the only unusual thing was that she seemed to react negatively to her captor being called a monster.

'And why did she bring up someone named Tier,' Herr Katzenhaft wondered as he hobbled down the road, 'Could it be the name of the creature that held her captive? What sort of being would choose a name for itself like Tier?' He'd have to ask her about it while Charon was being looked over by the doctor. He turned down the side-road to Falkenrath manor and continued on his way. The Falkenrath's may not be nobility anymore, but they still retained a family doctor on their live-in staff. The man was trustworthy, efficient, and was one of the few who was undecided about what had happened to Ahiru. In his case, it was because neither side had evidence to support their claims. He could be trusted not to freak out at her return and keep the news quiet.

Pike was elated to hear her friend had returned, but was unable to come see her. She had come down with a mild cold the day before and her parents refused to let her leave the house until it cleared up. Still, she managed to talk her parents into letting their doctor go along with the retired dancer to check up on the smith. "Tell her hello for me," the magenta haired young woman demanded before her instructor left, "And that I missed her and can't wait to see her again. Blasted cold…" "I'll be sure to do so, Fraulein Falkenrath," Herr Katzenhaft assured her with a faint smile, "Now I'm sure your parents would like it if you returned to your room and rested." "They're being paranoid," Pike retorted drily, "I'm not _that_ sick." "But you will be over it that much faster if you rest," the retired ballet dancer countered. "True," the violet-eyed maiden admitted, "You'll keep me updated on how Ahiru and her father are, though, right?" "Certainly," the gray-violet haired man agreed.

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The doctor didn't do much more than raise an eyebrow when the long absent Ahiru answered the door and went straight to work after they arrived. "He's not very talkative," the red-head observed as the man examined her father in focused silence. "He doesn't have to be to be good at his job," Herr Katzenhaft replied evenly before glancing at his student curiously, "So are you going to explain that story of yours?" The blue-eyed maiden flushed slightly in embarrassment and nodded before she started talking. Her old instructor listened intently as she talked about her time at the castle, the friends she'd made, and Tier.

It was clear she had grown quite attached during her stay with the way her face just lit up when talking about them all. He raised an eyebrow when he heard of her efforts to continue practicing ballet. The second eyebrow joined it when she told him about the ballet studio Tier turned over to her. Both eyebrows climbed even higher when she told him about how he'd even offered to help her practice. After everything Charon had told him about the creature that'd captured him – not to mention the rumors about what had happened at Goldkrone Castle ten years ago – he'd never have believed it…yet…Ahiru clearly wasn't lying.

Herr Katzenhaft had to admit Ahiru's account was likely the more accurate since Charon had only been imprisoned for a couple of days and had seen very little of the creature. His student had actually made the effort to get to know her captor, and from the sounds of it her efforts had paid off. Regardless of whatever else he may be, the creature Tier was no monster. Though now he had new suspicions. "It sounds as though this 'Tier' fellow is under a curse of some sort," he mused aloud before glancing curiously at his student, "How old did you say he was again?" "Twenty-five," the red-head replied before elaborating, "He'll be twenty-six in a couple of weeks."

The retired dancer hummed thoughtfully as the girl returned to talking about her time in the castle. Yet he was no longer paying much attention. 'The missing prince had just turned fifteen when he vanished and rumors of a monster in the castle started to circulate. Yet up to that point the nobles would often complain about his un-princely behavior…,' the ballet instructor considered, 'This Tier alluded to a terrible mistake he made ten years ago that resulted in his current form…. He also hinted at having had a courtly upbringing and being born into a social status that he never felt suited to. The timing matches… So do many of the details… Could it be that our long lost prince has been alive and under a curse this entire time? That would mean the name 'Tier' is nothing more than an alias. If Tier is truly the prince, then something _must_ be done to free him from his cursed state… But there is so much I still do not know. How may the curse be broken? Is there a time limit?' There was so much he still did not know.

He tuned back in as the red-head started talking about how he treated her and a slight smile started to twitch at the corner of his lips. To the retired dancer, it was clear that the cursed young man was absolutely smitten with his student. Her descriptions of his behavior gave it away. The playful teasing, the way he spoke to her, the soft look he'd get sometimes, the awkward moments in her presence, the gentle caution he exercised when in contact with her… All of it spoke to him of a young man in love yet unable to give voice to his feelings. It was a pity Ahiru was utterly oblivious to the subtle ways in which a man might express his affection, but it wasn't her fault. Considering the only other young man to show an interest in her was that painfully flamboyant young Brinkerhoff… The only signs of affection she was familiar with were so over-the-top that it made sense that she would be blind to subtle hints of interest. Herr Katzenhaft, however, was not so blind.

Finally, Ahiru finished her rapid-fire account of her stay. "I wasn't expecting Tier to suddenly let me go once we saw Papa was in trouble," she admitted with a thoughtful tilt of her head, "But now that I think about it I don't really find it that surprising anymore." "Oh," the retired dancer inquired curiously, "Why would that be?" "Because he's a nice person," the red-head replied with a soft smile, "He wouldn't just let Papa die out in the storm if something could be done to prevent it. I suppose he could have gone out himself, but he couldn't fly anymore… I was the only one who could reach Papa fast enough thanks to Fafnir. So he let me go…"

"Are you sure that's all there was to it," Herr Katzenhaft pressed lightly. "Eh," Ahiru blinked, "What else would it be?" "I think it may have been something far simpler that drove him to release you," her old instructor replied. "What," the blue-eyed maiden wondered. "He cared about you and wanted you to be happy," the graying-violet haired man grinned faintly as he dropped a slight hint. Sadly, the red-head completely missed the point. "Of course he cares about me," she stated with a puzzled look, "He's my best friend. I care about him, too." The retired merely shook his head indulgently. She'd work it out eventually.

Not long afterwards, the doctor left Charon's bedroom and curtly informed the two onlookers that the smith would be fine. The fever was simply due to exposure and a low-grade case of hypothermia that had mostly resolved itself once he'd warmed back up. He simply needed a few days to rest and recover his strength before he'd be back to normal. "Thank you very much, doctor," Ahiru smiled gratefully, "I was so worried when he wouldn't wake up." "Exhaustion," the doctor sighed as he adjusted the lenses over his eyes, "That's why he needs to rest. Do _not_ let him out of bed for at least a week."

"I can do that," the red-head nodded, "Is there anything else?" "Nothing special beyond taking care of his basic needs," the doctor replied, "Food, drink, and so on." "All right," the blue-eyed young woman nodded again, "Thank you!" "You already thanked me, Fraulein," the doctor sighed in exasperation though there was a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He left soon afterwards with Herr Katzenhaft in tow. Ahiru then set about unpacking some of her things. She left most of the presents in her pack for safe keeping, but did pull out the tea. She needed it after everything that had happened since she found her father in the mountains.

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True to the doctor's words, it took about a week for Charon to recover from his trip into the mountains. In that time, word started to spread about town that Ahiru hadn't died after all and was back at her house taking care of her sick father. It was Herr Katzenhaft who started the rumor this time, and the Falkenrath's doctor impatiently confirmed it when he was asked. It was around this time that Femio's theory about the red-head merely being stranded started to gain popularity. He'd spoken of it a few times in public and, while he'd still been seen as being in denial, it seemed far more rational than the smith's claims about a monster. Now they accepted it readily as truth.

It did nothing to improve Charon's reputation, though. The townsfolk still thought he was dangerously unstable even if they no longer believed that his daughter had been dead. To Lilie's delight, they modified the rumors on their own. Instead of him going mad from grief and denial…it was _guilt_ and denial; guilt for abandoning his beloved daughter and denial that it was his fault. The blonde sadist grinned at Femio as she continued to explain the recent developments in town, "If anything these new rumors they've come up with make him look even worse!" "Which means they will not protest when we send our associate in to collect the old smith," the flamboyant young man mused as he leaned back in his chair. They were both talking quietly at a table in the back corner of the tavern which was mostly deserted since it was the middle of the afternoon. It didn't get crowded until the evenings, usually.

"You aren't worried that Ahiru being there might complicate things," the blonde wondered with a sly grin. "Hardly," the brown-violet haired young man huffed before smirking, "If anything it makes things easier. Herr Drosselmeyer shows up at the door to collect the smith. Ahiru is distraught. I turn up out of nowhere and offer my sympathies. She begs me to save him. I agree to do so…on the condition that she accepts my proposal. She accepts out of love for her father. In time she realizes her true feelings for me and we spend the rest of our days in wedded bliss." He sighed happily at the thought prompting a giggle from his cousin. Lilie felt it was far more likely that she would spend the rest of her days in abject misery until her cousin finally snapped. Then he may very well kill them both, kill her and spend the rest of his life in misery, or only himself thus leaving her widowed. Any of these outcomes was a win in her eyes.

"So when do we move," the blonde sadist asked curiously. "Best if we wait until the man's had a bit more time to regain his strength," Femio admitted, "Perhaps five days from now." "So he'll have been back for a week and a half before we strike," Lilie mused before a wide grin spread across her face, "Ooh, I can hardly wait! It'll be so very _dramatic_!" "Dramatic and beautiful," the flamboyant young man sighed happily, "So much so that it should be a sin…" "Suiting for my delightfully sinful cousin," the blonde beamed.

"Ah, my dear Lilie," the brown-violet haired young man smiled back as a mad light glinted in his eyes, "You know me so well…" Their conspiracy would go forward as planned. Lilie would alert Herr Drosselmeyer of when he should move. Femio would spend the next few days rehearsing his approach to Ahiru and his proposal. All the while, the red-haired maiden tended to her convalescing father with both being entirely unaware of what was to come. In five days…everything would change.

 **A/N:** GAH, THIS CHAPTER WAS SO HARD TO WRITE! I just couldn't get it out of my head… Kept getting distracted by things. So annoying. From here we have either three or two chapters left depending on how long the climax ends up taking me. I just want to finish this before June. April…is not happening. It's March 30th right now. I am NOT turning out two/three more chapters in a single day. I can't. My focus problems won't let me. So June is my new deadline. Hopefully I can meet it. As for what happened in this chapter… Yeah, Ahiru has no idea that Tier isn't going to be alive for much longer. If it weren't for reasons of plot she'd be getting a nasty surprise when she came back in late spring. Fortunately, the plot is merciful. She gets the chance to save him. And will. Because this is based primarily on Disney's animated version. I have to be specific now that the live-action one exists. I saw it a few days ago as I write this. My opinion: Like that they kept the soundtrack from the original. LEITMOTIF! Suspect the new songs came from the Broadway version. Feels weird to hear the Beauty and the Beast theme being sung by someone other than Angela Lansbury. Still like some things from the animated version better, but the live-action one has its merits. Overall, not bad. For the record, any parallels between the early chapters and the live-action version are purely coincidental as I started writing this _last October_ and I started this chapter at the end of February. All edits are geared towards making the story sound less awkward when I read it back to myself or fixing typos. In short, live action version? NOT AN INFLUENCE! Well, I should get to work on the next chapter… See you then!


	12. The Calm Before

**A/N:** So close to the climax I can just about taste it! Not sure if it will start this chapter or the next one. Mostly because I still have a bit of set-up to do before I'm ready to launch into the main event. It could end up taking the entire chapter before I finish and this one could end with me leading into the climax. Or the climax could start in the middle…or towards the end. I don't know. It depends on how things develop. Shall we begin, then?

 **Disclaimer:** I do not, have not, and will never own any of the things I am using for this fic. This includes Princess Tutu and Beauty and the Beast (either version) which belong to their respective owners.

Chapter 11: The Calm Before

Ahiru continued to care for her father over the next two weeks. Charon was more or less fully recovered roughly half-way through the second week, though his daughter stubbornly refused to let him get up. "I assure you, Ahiru, I feel just fine," the smith insisted as the red-head flopped across his stomach to hold him down, "I can get up and walk around the house without risking a relapse." "Not until the doctor says it's okay," the blue-eyed maiden retorted. The sandy-haired man sighed in irritation, but didn't argue. He was still far too relieved that she was safe after months of being in captivity.

They had yet to talk about that time, although he _had_ been awake now for several days. The diminutive young woman was still trying to work out how to convince her father that Tier wasn't a monster, and her father simply didn't want to think about it now that she was back. He _was_ curious about how she managed to escape, but the fact remained that she was _home_ and not _still imprisoned in that castle_. For all that he wondered, it wasn't something he _needed_ to know at this point.

A knock came at the door prompting the red-head to lurch to her feet and race for the stairs. Charon winced as he heard the tell-tale yelp and thump that was indicative of his clumsy daughter tripping in the hall. At least she hadn't tripped on the stairs. He sighed quietly as he listened to her clamber up to her feet, heard her _carefully_ descend the stairs, and grinned as two enthusiastic squeals reached his ears along with the faint sound of the door opening.

It sounded like Pike had finally recovered from her cold and accompanied her family doctor on the trip over. The smith was proven correct when he heard Ahiru's rapid-fire chatter coming back up the stairs and the door opened to reveal her tightly hugging her friend's arm behind the doctor. "You seem to be doing much better," the glasses-wearing man observed before opening his bag to pull out a stethoscope. "I'm _feeling_ much better," Charon sighed, "Not that Ahiru is willing to listen to me." The doctor merely hummed quietly as he proceeded to examine the sandy-haired man.

Upon completing his examination, the doctor leaned back and adjusted his glasses before turning to the two on-looking young women. "I'd extend a caution against overexerting himself for a while, but other than that I feel he has recovered enough to resume normal activity," the man stated evenly. "So I'm off bed rest," Charon inquired. "Indeed," the doctor replied as he packed away his instruments. "Thank you so much, doctor," Ahiru smiled gratefully. The glasses-wearing man merely waved off her thanks with a faint smile before standing, nodding to Pike, and leaving. "Emest Arbeit," the magenta-haired young woman grinned wryly, "Best doctor in the valley, and worst conversationalist."

Her red-headed friend giggled at the description as her father climbed out of bed and stretched. "There's no reason to make fun of the man's reticence," the smith scolded. "Sorry Papa," the blue-eyed maiden apologized. "I'm sorry too, Charon," the violet eyed girl looked down shamefully, "He's a good man. My family wouldn't trust him if he weren't." "I'm not the one who should be apologized to, Doctor Arbeit is," Charon stated, "Even though I doubt he heard that little barb of yours." "I'll make it up to him later," Pike promised as she noticed him moving over to his dresser and tugged her friend's arm ,"We'll leave you to get dressed, Charon."

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Charon headed downstairs upon changing out of his sleeping clothes to find Pike seated at the kitchen table while Ahiru boiled a kettle of water on the stove. "So I've got two major questions," the magenta haired young woman stated as the smith took a seat at the table, "First, I want to know how Charon ended up in such poor shape considering all the preparations we did."

"That would be simple bad luck on my part," the sandy haired man sighed, "I was crossing a shallow stream in the mountains when the bridge gave out and I landed on my back. The only thing to get wet was my cloak and the back of my clothes, which bought me some time. I intended to look for some sort of shelter so I could build a fire, strip down, and dry my things as I warmed myself. Then the wind picked up all of a sudden and I could barely make out where I was going in the blowing snow. I kept going in hopes that I'd find some sort of sanctuary, but…well…I was not so fortunate."

"You shouldn't have been out in the mountains in the first place, Papa," Ahiru scolded, "Nobody travels through them at this time of year if they can avoid it!" "I couldn't just leave you in the clutches of some monster," Charon retorted, "What sort of father do you think I am?" "Tier is _not_ a monster," the red head countered sharply, "I know you didn't get off on the right foot when you first met, but you're the one who taught me not to judge on first impressions alone!"

"Who's Tier," Pike inquired bemusedly. "The creature insisted on going by that name as I recall," Charon admitted. "Papa," Ahiru snapped angrily, "Stop it!" "He kept you locked up all winter," the smith retorted in irritation, "And frankly I'm amazed you managed to escape." "That was my other question, actually," the magenta haired young woman interjected, "How _did_ you get away?" "I was free to roam the entire castle and grounds as I pleased with the exception of his personal chambers," the red-head countered with a scowl, "I wouldn't call that being 'locked up'. And I didn't escape! He let me go as soon as he saw how much trouble Papa was in!"

"What," her father gaped, "Why would he…" Pike shot her friend a curious look before silently prompting the other young woman to elaborate. She had a simple reason or being interested. She'd spent _years_ trying to help her best friend build her confidence, but nothing she'd tried had ever worked. Now here that same girl was defending someone with the sort of fiery conviction she'd always known her friend was capable of yet held beck because of her uncertainty. She wanted to know what had happened to make her change and what part this Tier person had in it all. "Because he's not a cruel person," the blue eyed maiden declared firmly, "He's bad with people, and can be a bit of a jerk…but he's also gentle and caring."

"I think you're going to have to explain that a bit more, Ahiru," Pike admitted, "I've heard stories about people sympathizing with their captors after a long time in captivity." Ahiru scowled at her best friend, "It's not like that! I mean, I didn't like him at all at first, but… That first night he tried really hard to be nice to me and I tried to return the favor but…his appearance kept getting to me. Then he spent the next few weeks avoiding me all together except for when my clumsiness could have really hurt me." Charon fretted at that admission, "Hurt you how?"

Ahiru sheepishly started to explain about how, in her first few weeks, she nearly fell down several staircases and could have been seriously injured – if not killed – if Tier hadn't intervened. She continued to detail the rest of her time in the castle starting with the friends she'd made among the castle staff. Pike was a bit weirded out –initially – to hear they were all sentient household items ranging from furniture to ornaments to crockery.

"Talking furniture and things," the magenta-haired young woman cringed uncomfortably, "That just sounds creepy to me. How did you ever get over that?" "It didn't really bother me too much," the red head admitted, "I mean, Papa told me all those wonderful stories when I was growing up… It was like being in one of them." Ahiru then started recounting what they were like with a bright smile on her face. It was clear she was fond of all of them. "They sound like wonderful people," Charon confessed as his daughter got up to grab the teapot off the stove and move on to preparing the tea, "I'd almost forgotten how friendly they had been before that cre-" He cut himself off and sighed as the blue-eyed maiden scowled at him before correcting himself, " _Tier_ locked me up. I'm glad you had some comfort in your stay."

"More than some," the red-haired young woman smiled reflectively, "I'd have never thought, in those first few weeks, that I would enjoy my stay there…yet it happened. And a large part of that change was thanks to Tier, actually." She sighed upon catching the skeptical look her father shot her and started to explain. She recounted the whole incident leading up to her panicked flight from the castle – emphasizing that he _had_ warned her away from the area _and_ that she'd _deliberately_ ignored the warning when she chose to investigate – and about Tier saving her.

She described the injuries he suffered and how she found she couldn't just _leave_ him like that after he's _saved_ her _life_. She then recounted the rest of the aftermath including the argument over which of them was _really_ to blame for the whole thing and Tier's concern over the injuries he'd caused plus his insistence on treating them. "That was when I first realized he was really kind of a nice guy," Ahiru admitted, "In spite of that temper of his." The young woman moved on to cover the slow growth of their friendship as they gradually got to know each other. She talked about the gift of the ballet studio, and all the other kindnesses he'd shown her. She even related her suspicions that he and everyone else in the castle were under some sort of curse.

"What sort of curse," Charon inquired uneasily. "I'm not sure really," the blue-eyed maiden shrugged as she brought over the tea cups and laid them out, "Tier spoke the most about it, but never really went into detail. All I really know is that he apparently made a really bad mistake some time ago and it resulted in both him and everyone else in the castle being transformed. It explains why some of the things in that place could move and speak, though. They all used to be people. It was clear he felt really bad about it though. Every time he brought it up he'd slip into these melancholy moods… I didn't like seeing him that way…"

Pike frowned thoughtfully, "Do you know if there's any way to break this curse of theirs?" "Unfortunately, no," Ahiru sighed, "That was the one thing that was guaranteed to make Tier completely shut down and avoid me for the next several days whenever I asked. Nobody else would tell me about it either. I wish I knew if there was or not, though…" "You want to help them, don't you," Charon sighed. "Of course she does," the magenta haired young woman retorted indignantly, "She wouldn't be our Ahiru if she didn't!"

Ahiru smiled shyly at her childhood friend and nodded in agreement. She really _did_ want to break the curse everyone at the castle was under if she could. She then resumed her account of her stay in the castle. Pike's opinion on her best friend's captivity had already started to shift after hearing her side of the story. There were still a number of actions Tier had taken that she simply did not approve of, but was gradually coming to terms with the realization that he was not the monster Charon had portrayed him as.

Speaking of the smith, he was far more resistant to the idea, but that resistance was being gradually being worn down. It was at the point that one more solid blow would shatter it fully and he would finally be able to accept the truth…that his former captor was a good man. Finally, Ahiru's story reached the end of her stay as she started talking about the birthday party he'd arranged for her. Pike squealed quietly as her blue-eyed friend described the pampering Hermia treated her to before dressing her up like a ballerina princess. Then she got to meeting Tier and describing the party itself. "It was incredible," she gushed with a broad smile, "Tier escorted me to dinner like I really _was_ a princess, and then there was the food and our dance… I'd never dreamed I'd get to experience _anything_ like that!"

She described the presents the others gave her after the improvised pas de deux she shared with Tier before moving onto their conversation on the balcony. "Tier…," Ahiru started hesitantly before pausing and shaking her head with an awed look, "He said so many nice things about me… I had a hard time believing them, but…looking back…he really meant them." "What sort of nice things," Pike pressed eagerly. She was starting to suspect she had a good idea what had sparked her friend's sudden confidence. The red-head blushed faintly. "Um…well first he said he owed me. That I'd changed him for the better because he was actually happy now. Then…," her blush deepened as she stammered awkwardly, "He…he called me a r-rare treasure. Um…and hope incarnate… He said…I-I saved him… No one's ever said anything like _that_ to me before!" The magenta-haired young woman squealed again as Charon blinked in confusion. "He really said all of that," he inquired uncertainly.

Ahiru nodded with her cheeks still flaming before she continued, "After that, I admitted I missed you all and wanted to see you guys. He said there was a way and showed me this _amazing_ book he kept up in his quarters! It was literally a magic book that shows you whatever you ask it too! That's how I learned Papa was in trouble, actually. I was looking in on all of you with the book and when I asked it to show me my father he was lost in the mountains." She then hesitated before concluding and when the final blow to Charon's resistance struck, "I was really scared… I wanted to help, but I didn't know what to do and I was really starting to panic… That's when Tier let me go. He said he was releasing me from our deal and promised he wouldn't go after Papa either. I was completely free with no strings attached! Herr Katzenhaft said it was because he cared about me and wanted me to be happy…and I think he was right."

With that revelation, the last of Charon's resistance shattered as he gaped at his daughter in shock. It left him rattled, and he took a sip of tea in an attempt to settle his nerves. The smith then blinked and stared down at the cup in surprise, "What sort of tea is this?" "It's the special blend Raetsel made for me," Ahiru chirped. "The one she gave you as a present," Pike inquired curiously as she continued sipping at her own tea. She rather liked it. The red head perked up and beamed, "That's right! Speaking of, I want to show you the others! Wait here!" She then leapt to her feet and darted up to her room. Pike facepalmed and sighed in exasperation as her friend scampered off to retrieve her pack.

"Oh, Ahiru," she murmured with a slight smile before glancing at Charon, "So…it sounds like we may have made some pretty unfair assumptions about this Tier guy." "I'm…still having a hard time accepting all of this," he confessed, "He never showed me any signs of kindness while I was his prisoner… Why would he change all of that for Ahiru?" "Well, there is that whole temper issue she mentioned," the magenta-haired girl pointed out, "Maybe you _really_ ticked him off somehow and it took him until Ahiru turned up to start cooling down." The smith had to admit it was a possible explanation. "There's also the fact that you were only there for, what, two days," Pike pointed out logically, "Ahiru had much more time to get to know the guy. She may very well have a clearer grasp of what he's really like than we did." "You have a point," Charon admitted reluctantly, "But it's still quite a lot to take in."

Further conversation was cut off when Ahiru burst back inside with her pack in tow. "I want to show you the presents Tier and the others gave me," she gushed eagerly, "Look! Look!" She opened the top flap on the canvas bag and started pulling things out as she listed them off, "Madame Koza made me this new winter gear, you've tried some of my favorite tea blend that Raetsel made for me, and I've got the hair ornament Rue made for me in my old winter cloak along with Mytho's wax swan sculpture and Uzura's polished quartz stone. Here's the comb Johann gave me… Oh, and this is the magic book I was talking about! Tier gave it to me when I left that night! He said it was an heirloom!"

As she pulled out the book, the whole pack slumped over which caused a certain stowaway to come tumbling out – much to everyone's surprise. "Uzura," Ahiru yelped as the little teacup rolled dizzily across the table, "What are you doing here?!" Uzura awkwardly wobbled upright and smiled up at her human friend, "I hid-zura! It was fun-zura!" Pike stared at the talking teacup in shock before leaning over to whisper to Charon, "It's one thing to hear about talking furniture and things….but this…this is just too weird…" "I honestly thought I was hallucinating at first," the smith whispered back with a wry grin.

Uzura's smile soon faded to a petulant pout as she demanded, "Why did you leave-zura? Everyone was sad-zura…" Ahiru winced in guilt at that, "I'm sorry, Uzura, but I had to save my father. He was in really bad trouble, and nobody else would have been able to reach him in time." "Then why didn't you _both_ come back-zura," the teacup whined. "Er," the red-head explained awkwardly, "Papa…would not have liked waking up in the castle very much. I thought he'd be happier waking up at home."

"She's not wrong about that," Charon commented drily, "I do not have fond memories of your home, little one." "But he's in big trouble now-zura," the little cup looked down sadly, "Everyone was talking when I left-zura… It was really confusing-zura… All I know is something bad is going to happen to him-zura!" The blue-eyed maiden's eyes widened in concern, "What?! Who?!" "Scaly Prince-zura," Uzura replied bluntly. Ahiru was still a bit puzzled by who the little teacup meant, though Pike and her father were gaping in shock, when a knock came at the front door…effectively distracting her. "Who could that be," she wondered as she stood to check.

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Femio was beside himself with glee as he hid in a cluster of trees with Lilie by his side. "This is it, my dear Lilie," he murmured eagerly, "The moment everything comes together! At last, Ahiru will be mine and mine alone!" The blonde sadist giggled quietly as she watched Herr Drosselmeyer's carriage pull up and his men helped him down from the driver's seat. She was just as excited, but wasn't about to speak and spoil the moment. To her amusement, several townsfolk had turned up as well having caught wind that something would be going on at the forge that afternoon.

The flamboyant young man was also aware of the unexpected audience, but was honestly pleased by their presence. The more witnesses to the acceptance of his proposal the better in his mind. The one thing he _wasn't_ happy with was the weather which was threatening to turn stormy. The clouds were thick and heavy with rain and blotted out the sun turning the light gloomy; hardly the appropriate mood lighting for his triumph. He comforted himself with imagining the perfect weather for his wedding to Ahiru as he watched Drosselmeyer walk up to the front door and knock. This was it!

Drosselmeyer, too, was eager to get the show on the road as a deranged grin spread across his face as he waited for the door to open. He rapidly schooled his expression into a stern frown as he heard the lock click and the door started to swing open. It would not do to alert the young lady to his intentions prematurely. "Hello," the freckle-faced young woman tilted her head in confusion as she opened the door, "May I help you, Herr…" "Drosselmeyer," the old man introduced himself with an elaborate bow, "An honor to make your acquaintance, Fraulein."

Ahiru stared at him in total befuddlement, "What is it you want?" "I'm afraid your father must come with me immediately," the flamboyantly garbed man informed her with mock solemnity. "What could you possibly want with my father," she frowned disapprovingly, "He's only just recovered from illness. He's in no condition to start any major commissions." "Oh, it is not a commission I need him for," Drosselmeyer informed her with a smile as he stepped aside to reveal the carriage waiting behind him bearing the asylum's name on the side, "It is urgent I bring him to his new…home…for the foreseeable future. It's what is best for him." The red-head's eyes widened in horrified disbelief before narrowing in absolute fury, "How dare you?! Papa's not insane!"

"I'm afraid the account I was given by a concerned citizen was quite damning, my dear," Drosselmeyer replied as his grin widened, "Dealing with his guilt for abandoning a young thing such as yourself in the mountains in a fit of delirium by making up a story about some make-believe monster holding you captive is excusable enough. Many men tell themselves such lies to soothe their consciences for a time before they are able to come to terms with their guilt. Particularly when their minds are addled by cold and exposure. But clinging to that delusion long after he has physically recovered from the ordeal is not. Your father needs time and quiet to accept that he made a terrible mistake even though he is not a terrible person. I assure you, he will have both in my care." Ahiru gaped, " _That's_ what you think happened?!"

Unfortunately, thanks to the _worst_ sense of timing possible, Charon walked up behind his daughter curiously. "Who is it, Ahiru," he asked. Drosselmeyer acted fast and snapped his fingers sharply. In response, two of his men hurried forward and firmly pushed Ahiru out of the way as they reached for the sandy-haired man behind her. "Stop," the red-head screamed angrily, "Let him go!" She then looked over at the on-looking townsfolk and pleaded, "Please tell them my father isn't crazy!" The gathered men and women looked at each other and started muttering, but made no move to act. They clearly believed the same as the men taking her father away: that the man needed help.

"Let go of me," Charon demanded as the pulled him out of the house, "What in heaven's name is going on here?!" Lilie, who had been creeping over to the road, emerged at that point and started to squeal with delight, "Charon's insanity finally got bad enough that the asylum was called in! Now he'll languish in a cell falling deeper and deeper into his madness! Oh, how wonderfully _tragic_!" "I'm not insane," the smith protested, "There really is a mighty creature living in Goldkrone Castle!" "Oh, so now this monster of yours is in the abandoned castle of the lost royal family," a random man scoffed dismissively. "Don't be ridiculous," another called out, "The Beast of Goldkrone Castle is just a scary story told to scare children!" "Yeah," the first man agreed, "Everyone knows that rumor is complete nonsense!" Lilie giggled again, "Ah, I only wish I could watch his decent deeper into madness. From the sound of it it's sure to be _interesting_!"

Ahiru was fuming by this point and grabbed onto Drosselmeyer's arm, "You can't do this!" "I'm afraid I can, Fraulein," the old man replied with a grin, "Your father is clearly quite mad." He then pulled his arm free as she froze in shocked horror and walked away to oversee Charon's incarceration in the back of the carriage. That was Femio's cue to approach, and he did not miss it. "Mon dieu," he mused in mock surprise as he strolled casually down the road behind Lilie, "Just what is going on here?" The red-head stiffened as she noticed her old admirer, but was desperate enough to push her discomfort around him to the side and cried out hopefully, "Femio! You'll tell them, right?! Tell them that Papa isn't crazy!"

The brown-violet haired man hummed in mock thoughtfulness as he continued to draw nearer making the young woman more and more uncomfortable. "Well," he drawled as he feigned contemplation, "I suppose I could _try_ to clear up this misunderstanding. Money is quite useful for some things after all. Making certain inconveniences disappear. However, I must request that you do something for me in return." "Like what," Ahiru asked uncertainly. She didn't like the way he was looking at her…there was an eager hungriness there. One that made her feel the need to flee far, far away. "Oh, it's well within your means to grant me this favor. Nothing _unsightly_ I assure you. I just need you to answer me one simple question."

Femio was standing right in front of her now and it was taking all of the red-head's self-control to not simply scream and run away. 'It's just a question,' she told herself, 'I can do this. This isn't as scary as Tier is when he's _really_ angry. This isn't as scary as those wolves. It's just the biggest creep in town… He is _really_ creepy and he makes me really uncomfortable…but he is NOT that scary!' "Ask it then," Ahiru requested firmly. A confident smirk spread across the flamboyant young man's face as he leaned in and took her hand in his own before whispering in her ear, "Will you marry me, fair Ahiru?" The blue-eyed maiden went rigid in shock and stared at him disbelievingly, "Eh?!"

The brown-violet haired young man pulled back and smiled down at her creepily, "All you have to do is say yes, mon amour. Say yes and I will fix this little mess your family has found itself in." 'But I _can't_ ,' she screamed inside her head as she stared blankly at Femio, 'I don't love you and I never will! And you don't love me either! You just think you do! The best thing for both of us is if I say no, but then I may never see my father again! What do I do? What can I do?!' She took a deep shuddering breath as a new thought occurred to her, 'He's just confused. Maybe if I say yes now and then take the time to talk to him seriously about it I can get him to realize what a terrible idea this is. Then we can call things off and just go about the rest of our lives. I can do that. Okay…' "Femio," Ahiru looked down uneasily as she tried to work up the nerve to go through with her idea, "I…I…"

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Before she could say anything further, a sudden shout from the door of the house caught her attention. "Ahiru," Pike called as she waved the magic book over her head, "Here! Catch!" Unknown to everyone, the magenta-haired girl had been listening from the kitchen door when Charon was grabbed, snuck over to the door, and peaked out during the subsequent commotion. She'd seen and heard everything, and was the only one of the onlookers _not_ involved in his scheme to realize what Femio's question was likely to be. It was also the absolute _last_ thing she was willing to allow. Fortunately, she knew _exactly_ how to fix things.

If people refused to believe Tier existed…then she would give Ahiru means to _show_ them he was real: the magic book she had forgotten in her panic. The violet-eyed maiden threw the book right at Ahiru…and her best friend caught it with a look of dawning realization. "Use it," Pike insisted, "Show them the truth!" The red-haired young woman nodded before turning back to a puzzled Femio and smiling kindly at him, "I'm sorry, Femio, but I don't need you to fix this for me. My answer is no. I will not, and never will, marry you." She then stepped back as he started sputtering in disbelief before proclaiming at the top of her lungs, "My father is _not_ crazy, and I can _prove it!_ "

As everyone turned to look at her, Ahiru ran her fingers across the lock on the front of the book and opened it. The faintly glowing pages turned into a softly glowing white light and she spoke her request, "Show me Tier, please." In response, the glow intensified before surging upwards in a brilliant vortex as an image slowly resolved in the midst of the spiraling lights. She smiled faintly as the Tier's figure resolved. He was leaning heavily against one of his bedposts and glaring at someone out of view.

She recognized that particular glare as his 'I have heard this way too many times and am thoroughly sick of it so _stop talking_ ' glare. He wore it a lot around Autor when he was in lecture mode. Ahiru'd only seen it a few times, but it was one that stuck in her memory. To her it indicated he was annoyed, but was in no danger of losing his temper any time soon. Yet to the on-looking townsfolk it was terrifying and they all gasped and drew back slightly. True, the image was only about a foot and a half tall, but the dragon-like man was an intimidating figure even when he wasn't trying to be threatening.

"What the hell is that thing," one of Drosselmeyer's men yelped as he hid behind the open door at the back of the carriage. "This is Tier," Ahiru stated evenly as the illusion of her former captor and best friend started speaking silently revealing the flash of his gleaming white fangs, "You all know him as the Beast of Goldkrone Castle. I made a deal with him to release my father who he was holding captive. In return, I would stay with him in his castle and was forbidden to leave the grounds…right up until set me free ten days ago. Now that you have _proof_ that he really exists will you concede that this isn't something we made up? That my father isn't crazy and let him go?"

The townsfolk cringed back even further at the sight of Tier's fangs, but had to admit the young woman was right. They couldn't deny the evidence of their own eyes. The Beast of Goldkrone Castle…was real. Charon had been telling the truth all along. Yet that made it worse in their eyes. For such a terrifying monster to actually exist… How were they supposed to cope with such a horrifying revelation? An ominous rumble of thunder emerged from the heavens above. A storm…was building.

 **A/N:** And we are now at the start of the climax. I know the whole storm thing is a bit of a cliché metaphor, but it is just so perfect that I could not resist. Besides, the reason these things become cliché's in the first place is because they are just that evocative. And I am a sucker for evocative imagery. So, next chapter we get into the bulk of the climactic final battle. Probably not the aftermath, though. There should be at least one more chapter after that, but we are so very close to the end. This chapter didn't take me as long as the previous ones to get through. Less than a month, though it still took longer than I would have liked. Mostly because I kept rewriting the bit where Ahiru was talking about her time at the castle, and the bit with Uzura. There are a few reveals for the characters that I kept reworking the timing on. This is what I get for not working off of a concrete outline… Anyways, I'm sure the upcoming reveals will be no surprise to you readers. Trying to make them a surprise really doesn't work in this case though. You all know this story, _and_ you know these characters. It doesn't matter what I do; certain plot points will remain the same. All I can do is hope you enjoy the characters' upcoming reactions. That said, I should get started on writing what happens next. I'll see all of you next chapter. Till then!


	13. The Storm Builds

**A/N:** You know, this is probably the shortest multi-chapter story I have ever written. May even be the shortest one I will ever write. Perhaps I could classify it as a light novel in terms of length. Certainly it's longer than a novella, but it's still shorter than anything else I have written…barring that crappy one-shot I wrote when I was 13. Not sure if that counts, though. I mean, it was really bad. Poorly written, no real plot (it was basically written as a clip show of what the inside of my head is like), and so on…. Hm… Meh, it's irrelevant right now, I suppose. Anyways, we are getting into the fun bit which, in the film, includes 'The Mob Song', the battle in the castle, and the duel between the Beast and Gaston on the castle roof! There will be no 'Mob Song' here…even though it's probably my favorite song with lyrics off of the soundtrack. Mostly because none of the townsfolk respect Femio anywhere near as much as the French townspeople did Gaston. Yet there will still be a mob that he leads up to the castle. Want to see how that still manages to happen? Then read on…and enjoy! Let the build up to the climax continue!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not, have not, and will never own any of the things I am using for this fic. This includes Princess Tutu and Beauty and the Beast (either version) which belong to their respective owners.

Chapter 12: The Storm Builds

By the time Ahiru activated the book, the crowd of townsfolk had grown considerably thanks to one man running back to town early on and spreading the word that Drosselmeyer had come for Charon. Out of a mix of curiosity and desire for free entertainment, a fair number of people had turned up. Now, with the truth of Tier's existence revealed, this large group of people was on edge. "Is," one woman quavered uneasily, "Isn't that thing _dangerous_?" "Don't call him a _thing_ ," Ahiru scowled in annoyance before sighing, "Look, I know Tier looks really scary, but he's not a monster. I mean, he does have a bit of a temper problem, but he normally just breaks things when he gets really mad. He doesn't attack _people_. He's one of the gentlest, most protective, and caring souls I have ever met…and he's my best friend."

Femio had been growing more and more livid since the reveal of Tier's existence effectively crippled his whole plan; he'd never counted on her being able to _prove_ Charon wasn't insane. Yet it wasn't until he heard the clear fondness in her voice as she defended the dragon-like man in the image and saw it in her face that his fury reached the boiling point. "If I didn't know any better," he ground out in the most courteous tone he could manage, "I'd think you were in love with that monster…" The red-haired young woman scowled at Femio for that, "Tier isn't a monster!"

"If anyone here is a monster," Pike added as she walked up to stand next to her friend, "It's you and that blonde menace you call cousin." Lilie didn't deny the accusation. She knew full well what she was and felt no shame in it. Her flamboyant cousin, on the other hand, didn't take the accusation so well. "How could you possibly say such a thing," he gasped indignantly, "I am a gentleman and the most attractive bachelor in the entire town! That… _creature_ …on the other hand… Well, look at it! That thing is absolutely hideous! How could it be anything other than a monster! And Lilie? My dear cousin may be a touch eccentric, but she's harmless! How dare you!"

"I always knew you were oblivious," the magenta-haired young woman exploded, "But this is just pathetic. Your cousin is a sick and twisted woman who delights in the misery of others, and the only one in town who doesn't seem to be aware of this is _you_! And speaking of that, how blind do you have to be to mistake Ahiru's blind terror when you show up as _shyness_?! You kept harassing her over and over and never _once_ did you see how miserable she was! And then you show up out of the blue to propose to her in spite of all the clear signs of rejection, break down her _door_ , and expect her to respond _positively?!_ No wonder the rest of your family wants _nothing_ to do with you! You're an absolute disgrace and a fool! You want to know why I think you're a monster? _You tormented my best friend for no reason other than to satisfy your own delusions! You bastard!_ "

Pike panted heavily after her explosion as the crowd stared at her in shock…before a few of them started to nod in agreement. Everything she accused the pair of was absolutely true and they all knew it. Femio, however, could not accept her words and started shaking his head in denial. "Delusions? Nonsense. Ahiru loves me! She does! I know it! It's impossible that she could feel anything less than utter adoration for my peerless beauty and charm," he exclaimed before smiling at the silent red-head standing by her friend's side, "Right, mon amour?"

Ahiru gazed back at him pityingly before shaking her head and stating firmly, "I don't love you Femio. I never have. In all honesty, you make me extremely uncomfortable and I wish you'd just leave me alone." The flamboyant young man froze and stared at her in horror before insisting desperately, "Y-you don't mean that! You _can't_ mean that!" "I'm sorry, Herr Brinkerhoff," the blue-eyed maiden replied formally, "But I really do. Please, just go away." Femio's sanity, which had been hanging on by a thread since her initial rejection all those months ago, abruptly snapped as her words fully registered. Lilie's careful cultivation of his delusions, and her patience, had finally reached fruition.

"I see," Femio murmured as a cold insanity started to burn deep in his eyes. He then turned to face the watching townsfolk and spread his arms widely as he started to speak, "Good people of Grünefelder, can you not see the evil this creature has visited upon my beloved and her poor father? He has twisted their minds past the breaking point! Worse, his vile power has spread to infect the young heiress of the Falkenrath fortune! I do not deny that I am a sinful man! These accursed good looks of mine and this charming personality…they are my greatest sins for they draw love I do not deserve to my unworthy person! Yet this _creature_ …this _monster_ …his sins are far more sinister…far more unforgivable! He must be stopped, my friends! Will you help me?"

The townsfolk were not convinced. "Are you mad, man," one of the men retorted. "Only madly in love," Femio replied, "Please, we must act before that thing's power spreads further and corrupts our entire town!" "I don't know," a woman mused aloud, "That creature is terrifying, make no mistake, and I don't like that it's so close to our homes. I'm also not convinced it isn't dangerous, but… Well, Fraulein Falkenrath made some good points." The rest of the townsfolk murmured in agreement. They knew full well the youngest Brinkerhoff was delusional. He had always been the only one who couldn't see the truth of how Ahiru felt for him. If anything, they were mentally applauding the girl for finally telling him how she felt instead of running away.

The flamboyant young man couldn't understand why the townsfolk weren't as upset as he was. His delusions had consumed him because he simply could not accept the reality that Ahiru felt nothing for him. He'd concluded that the whole reason she'd claimed not to love him was that Tier had her under some sort of spell. That this enchantment was contagious and had infected Pike during the time she spent around Charon who he also now believed was affected. True, the man had never once defended the draconic humanoid, but he also hadn't denied his daughter's claims. In fact the man had relaxed the second the illusion was summoned, and had shown no fear at the dragon-like man's appearance. That alone was damning evidence in his mind.

Femio was starting to realize, though, that the townsfolk were never going to believe him. It made no sense to him as to why they were being so dismissive. None have them had spent enough time around the 'infected' individuals to be corrupted. Yet he _needed_ their support. He wasn't quite mad enough to believe he could take Tier on alone. In desperation, he made one final attempt to win them over, "If you help me with taking that monster down, I'll pay you!" _That_ caught the townsfolk's attention. "…How much," one man finally asked. "Enough that you will never have to work again a day in your lives," the flamboyant young man promised. The crowd conversed quietly among themselves for a few moments before finally turning their full attention on him and the man spoke again, "You've got a deal."

Ahiru and Pike both stared in disbelief at the sudden turnaround. "You've got to be _kidding_ me," the magenta haired young woman exclaimed in sheer disgust at the shameless greed being displayed by her neighbors. Femio turned to face the two young women with a broad smile on his face, "Don't worry, my dear girls. I'll save you from the spell you are under." "You can't be serious," the blue-eyed maiden breathed in horror before shaking her head violently, "I know learning the truth hurt a lot, but that's no reason to blame Tier! Just leave him alone! He's suffered enough as it is!"

"Oh, Ahiru," the insane young man shook his head slowly with a pitying look, "So compassionate even in your madness." He then turned to Drosselmeyer inquisitively, "How many people can that carriage of yours hold?" "Single occupant only, I'm afraid," the old man replied. "Ah, well," Femio sighed, "I suppose we'll just have to use the forge then." "What are you planning," Pike demanded warily. The flamboyant young man ignored her and turned back to face Ahiru again with a sorrowful smile, "I wish it had not come to this, but I can't trust that you won't get in our way. I'm afraid you'll all have to be locked up. It's for your own good. Await my return, mon amour!"

To the young women's horror, they were seized by Drosselmeyer's remaining orderlies and dragged across the yard to the forge which was separate from the house. "We'll have to barricade the place," Femio mused thoughtfully, "To ensure they can't escape." "Femio," Ahiru pleaded as she tried to free herself, "Stop this! Please!" Yet her pleas fell upon deaf ears. "Stop this madness," Charon demanded as the orderlies restraining him dragged him over as well, "You've no idea what you are dealing with you young fool! Of _who_ you're dealing with!" "Poor old smith," the flamboyant young man sighed, "I do hope once your right mind is restored you'll give me your blessing to marry your daughter."

Charon's eyes widened before narrowing grimly, "Never. I'd sooner see her wedded to a stone statue than _you_." The brown-violet haired young man's eye twitched slightly at that, "I see. Well, you'll change your mind soon enough. This I promise you…" He then signaled for the orderlies to throw them into the forge and slammed the door shut after the trio was inside. "Barricade the door and keep watch until we return," Femio ordered, "Do not let them escape." The orderlies looked at each other uneasily before nodding in agreement. Disobedience at this point would bring the old madman's wrath down on them. Especially since their boss was clearly enjoying himself; best to just go along with this new lunatic's whims for now. They knew madness when they saw it, after all. How could they not?

Lilie, naturally, was beside herself with joy with how matters had evolved. "So we're off to Goldkrone Castle," she cheered as she bounced up to her cousin's side, "Oh, Femio dear, this is going to be so _exciting_!" "We aren't doing this for the sake of amusement," Femio scolded, "But for the sake of my beloved Ahiru!" "That's what's so exciting," the blonde insisted, "Going head to head with a vicious monster for the sake of winning a fair maiden's heart! There is nothing more romantic or dramatic than that!" "True," her cousin agreed, "Will you be coming along with us, then?" "Of course," she gasped in amazement that he'd even have to ask such a thing, "I'd _never_ leave your side in such a situation, Femio dear! You _need_ me!" "Ah, Lilie," the insane young man sighed in satisfaction, "I can always count on you."

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As Femio, Lilie, and his bribed followers headed down the road that would ultimately lead them to Goldkrone Castle, as Drosselmeyer climbed up into his carriage and drove back to the asylum to await further news, and as Ahiru, Pike, and Charon pulled themselves back to their feet within the forge a pair of worried blue eyes peered out from behind the curtains covering the windows of the empty house. "Ahiru is in trouble-zura," Uzura whimpered, "What do I do-zura?" Her eyes settled on the inert form of the item that had been the trigger for this new disaster in the making.

The red-haired young woman had dropped the magic book in surprise when she'd been grabbed, and it had fallen face down on the ground which disrupted the illusion…yet the lock had not engaged. "How did she make it work-zura," the little teacup wondered before remembering, "Ah! She asked it nicely-zura!" She carefully made her way down from the window ledge to the floor, and bounced outside to where the book lay. Then the little cup hooked her handle under the edge of the cover and flipped it over. The pages transformed yet again to the soft white glow as the item patiently waited for direction. "I need help to free Ahiru-zura," Uzura started before moving on to her actual request, "Please show me someone who can help me-zura!"

The enchantment bound to the book's materials activated and a new illusion started to take shape. It took on the form of a graying violet haired man with a waxed mustache and amber eyes reading quietly in a room: Herr Katzenhaft. "Ooh," Uzura cooed in interest before making another request, "Please show me where he lives-zura!" The illusion abruptly died and the book went fully inert as the faintly glowing pages reformed. "I don't know who that is-zura," the little teacup repeated frantically, "And I don't know where he lives either-zura! Please-zura! Please show me how to find him-zura!" The book remained silent for a few moments before suddenly exploding into blinding light as a series of illusions flashed around her.

She had no idea of knowing that the book could only safely transition between illusions when it was shut and re-opened. Her innocent request had overloaded the enchantment, and the storm of illusions was a sign it was close to failing. Yet, even with the enchantment powering it unraveling by the second, it was trying to fulfil her request.

The illusions showed her the path to take to reach the retired ballet dancer's house and what it looked like. They then showed her the easiest way to get inside and how to navigate the building. Finally, it showed her the most likely places she was to find the man who lived there before the enchantment sputtered and the illusions flickered and died. The pages were barely luminescent now, yet the spell powering it was still barely hanging on…for the moment. It would degrade fully before the end of the week leaving only an ordinary book full of blank pages. Yet Uzura knew none of this. "Thank you-zura," she chirped before setting off.

Uzura's progress was slow. She could only move in short little hops that covered only a few inches at a time. The road into town was a good quarter mile long, though. Worse, it was another quarter mile across town on the route she was shown to reach Herr Katzenhaft's home. Yet there was one advantage the curse offered to those individuals transformed into household objects; they could not grow tired. They felt no fatigue from exertion, and had no need for sleep. The little teacup slowly, but steadily, continued on her trek without faltering.

Even as the hours passed and the sun sank below the horizon, she kept on moving. Even as the moon rose and the stars came out, the little cup persevered. Even as the stars faded from the sky as the sun rose once more, she did not break her steady pace. Finally, as the sun reached its zenith, she arrived at her destination. "Oooh," she cooed quietly as she looked up at the small manor house, "Pretty-zura." Yet she did not delay long. Uzura hopped her way across the lawn intent on reaching the man inside. She _would_ help her human friend escape!

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Back at the forge, the trapped trio had finally admitted defeat after spending most of the evening and following night trying to escape. "Tier," Ahiru whimpered sadly. "He's strong enough to defend himself," Charon tried to reassure his daughter, "Plus he has those claws of his. Femio's far more likely to be injured than he is." "You don't get it," the red-head moaned, "He's not invincible, Papa! Those wolves tore right through his scales, and he's even more outnumbered this time! And he's up against _people_ with _weapons_ and not wild animals! Plus he can't fly anymore since he only has one good wing! If they corner him…he could die, Papa! I don't want him to die!"

"Yet he's also fast," the smith reminded her, "I remember you mentioning that from the fight you described. Not only that, but he's smart. So you really think he'll allow himself to be cornered so easily? I believe he can win. Don't you?" "I want him too," Ahiru admitted, "But I'm still really worried." Pike, who had been silent for the past hour or so, finally spoke up, "You may be right to be." Her two companions turned to look at her; one with a look of disapproval and another with a worried, yet curious expression. The magenta-haired young woman elaborated, "Remember what Uzura mentioned earlier? About Tier being in trouble and that something 'bad' is going to happen to him?"

"She was talking about Tier," Ahiru blinked cluelessly, "Then why did she call him scaly prince? I mean, I'm pretty sure he's a noble of some sort, but he's not a prince, right? He doesn't act like one." "Neither did the missing crown prince if the old rumors are accurate," Charon admitted before frowning at the violet-eyed young woman speculatively, "Are you suggesting what I think you are?" "I think one of his servants would know his true station better than we would," Pike admitted, "And it _would_ explain what happened to the missing prince." "What would," the red head burst out in frustration.

"…I'm not entirely certain I'm even right about this," the magenta-haired maiden started to explain hesitantly, "But…there is a chance that Tier is actually the crown prince under a curse. In which case, Femio has bribed a fair portion of the town into committing treason." "Eh," the blue-eyed young woman yelped in shock. "It's not a certainty," her friend emphasized, "I'm just saying it's a possible explanation for Uzura's nickname." "…And the 'bad' thing that is supposed to happen to him," Ahiru inquired uncertainly.

"Again, I'm not sure," the other young woman sighed, "But we really don't know much about the curse he's under, do we? What if it's only effect wasn't to turn him into a sort of dragon-man hybrid? There could be other consequences that we just don't know about. I can imagine a lot of things, honestly. It could change him into a weaker form after a certain amount of time has passed. It could cause him to suffer excruciating pain at random intervals that could compromise him in a fight. Worst case scenario it has a terminal effect after a certain time period has passed. I've heard stories about things like that."

"Wait," the red-head demanded in a near panic, "Are you suggesting that the curse could _kill_ him?!" "It's possible," Pike admitted reluctantly, "As I said, I've heard stories of such things existing. The thing is, I really don't know what Uzura meant by 'something bad'. At the very least, the curse has some sort of secondary effect that will probably make fighting off attackers more difficult." "And if he really _is_ the missing prince," Charon realized with a worried frown, "We can't let him fall." "Exactly," the magenta-haired young woman nodded firmly, "Problem is, we can't do anything while we're trapped like this."

Pike then surged to her feet and started pacing in sheer frustration as she started to vent, "Damn that Femio! And damn Lilie for feeding those delusions of his! I hate this! I want to help, but I can't and it's just so _infuriating!_ At the very least, I wish I had some way to get word to my parents! There's no way they'd stand aside if they knew the prince yet lived and was being threatened by a deluded madman! If I could just let them know what was going on… Damn it all!"

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Femio and his followers were not as well equipped as he would have liked when they finally set off down the road. He'd ordered the townsfolk to grab something to fight with from home. While they were doing that, he'd stopped by his own home and grabbed a rapier, a small crossbow, and a dagger which he slipped into his boot. Yet when he reunited with his followers, the only one to have a passable weapon was Lilie who had brought a vicious looking sickle; the others had kitchen knives, pitchforks, hatchets, and – most laughably of all – frying pans. These were not acceptable armaments. Femio may have been insane, but he wasn't robbed of all reason. He knew the monster they were set to eliminate was likely much bigger, stronger, and faster than they were.

Of course, he didn't particularly care if the men following him died or not, but he also knew it would be difficult to take the creature down on his own. This meant he needed his followers to have better weapons so that they wouldn't die as fast, and could weaken the monster enough for him to strike the final blow. Yet there wasn't much that could be done about that. The region they lived in was fairly peaceful, so only the nobility or richer merchant families owned weapons; most of which were strictly ornamental. The closest thing to a weapon they'd likely encounter would be a scythe belonging to one of the many farmers living in the valley…and those were not easy to wield in combat. Not without hurting oneself or anyone in the near vicinity be they enemy or ally at least.

He was forced to admit that his followers were likely to fall faster than he'd like. 'Still,' he mused as he led his small force of men and women down the road, 'They may still manage to do just enough damage to give me the edge I need. Plus that sickle Lilie found looks nasty enough to do quite a bit of damage.' Femio figured he'd rely on her to do most of the work of wearing the creature down. Unfortunately, this little plan of his relied on Lilie actually participating in the fight to come; the blonde sadist had no intention of doing this.

Instead, she planned to slip away and watch from the sidelines as everyone else fought and died. Then she would leave as the last man fell to return home before anyone noticed she was there. She was coming along for the entertainment value after all. Not because she wanted Femio to _win._ Though she would accept that outcome as well; it would be equally amusing if he were to survive and return home to force an unwilling Ahiru into marrying him. From her perspective, the situation was still win-win. Everyone dies horribly against a vicious monster? Win! Femio is the sole survivor – aside from herself naturally – and returns victorious to the forge where the news of her dear friend's demise will undoubtedly break Ahiru's heart? Win!

By the time the sun went down that evening, and they were forced to stop for the night at a farm, they were maybe an hour or so away from the towering peaks that sheltered the long-thought abandoned castle. The farmer who owned the place was not particularly thrilled to host a bunch of haphazardly armed strangers, but Femio managed to persuade the man by paying him an obscene amount of money. He was deliberately ignoring the fact that he really couldn't afford to do so _and_ pay the bribes he'd promised. The truth was the money he was spending was coming straight from his inheritance, and as the youngest son…it wasn't that extensive. If he had managed it carefully, it could have provided him with a reasonably comfortable life-style though it would not have been as rich and pampered as what he was used to.

Yet he had spent his inheritance carelessly, and it had already been close to depleted after paying off Drosselmeyer. Now, after bribing the farmer, he was almost completely penniless. Not that he let on about it. "Take heart, my friends," he announced as they got settled for the night, "We will arrive at the monster's lair on the morrow!" "That's what you think," one of the men sighed, "Those mountain roads are pretty nasty at this time of year. It'll probably take us at _least_ half a day to reach the old royal road, and another full day to make it up that road to the castle itself. You're going to seriously owe us for this, Brinkerhoff." "Of course! Of course," Femio nodded agreeably, "I assure you, you will receive fair compensation!" A castle _would_ make for an opulent tomb after all. Far more upscale than being buried in the graveyard on the hill behind the town. That sounded like fair compensation to him.

The next morning they set out with a fair amount of grumbling from everyone save their dangerously delusional leader and Lilie. They weren't looking forward to camping out in the mountains. Still, Femio's promises of fair compensation urged them onwards, as did the blonde's audible musings on all the finery that would be free for the taking once the monster was dead. It wasn't as though it _belonged_ to anybody anymore, after all. The crown prince was likely long dead and there were no other heirs to the throne. That meant the castle and everything in it would be up for grabs. They were now motivated as much by the imaginings of all the loot waiting for them as they were by the bribes that had convinced them to humor the insane young man in the first place.

"They say the late queen had exquisite taste in fashion," one woman gossiped to another as they walked onwards, "A whole wardrobe of fine silk, velvet, and brocade gowns. I think I could pull off a velvet gown, don't you?" "Oh yes," her companion agreed, "Oh, and wasn't she supposed to have a whole chest of fine jewelry too? We'd be the envy of everyone back home if we came back robed in finery and sparkling with jewels!" "The castle's sure to have some very fine furniture, as well," another woman pointed out, "Perhaps we should have brought a cart or something to carry it all back to our homes…" "It's a castle, isn't it," a man mused, "It's sure to have carriages or wagons for when the royals went out. Should be easy enough to load things up and haul them back to town in one of those."

The townsfolk continued gossiping to each other about the riches just waiting to be claimed up until they reached the crossroads deep in the mountains around noon. They stopped for a quick lunch as they tried to work out which road lead up to the castle. It wasn't until one of them men pointed out the road they needed was likely to be somewhat overgrown and quite broad that they identified the right one. It had certainly seen better days as no one had bothered to maintain it after the prince went missing. Once, it had been an elevated road with gently sloping banks raising it above the mud of the spring run-off. Furthermore, it had been neatly cobbled over with light-colored stone to differentiate it from the other roads which were left as dirt and gravel.

Yet ten years of neglect had taken their toll. Most of the cobblestone was missing and deep gouges had been carved into the banks from years of snowmelt and rainfall. Grass had grown up and around the remaining stones, and a few small shrubs had taken root here and there. There was a mix of fresh and half-rotten branches scattered all over the surface from the surrounding trees, and one half-rotten log laying part-way across the road that they could see. "There's our way onwards, my friends," Femio proclaimed enthusiastically, "Soon we will arrive, and then…we fight!" The townsfolk shifted uneasily at that reminder, but followed the delusional young man's lead as he headed up the derelict roadway. They'd come this far, after all.

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Ahiru was curled into a little ball of misery up against her father as the early afternoon light shone through the gaps in the barricade over the windows. It had been nearly three days since they'd been locked away, and she was fretting about whether Tier was even still alive. It was only a day and a half's ride away, after all. She'd assumed Femio had commandeered wagons and horses before setting out…unfortunately forgetting that this was the _sane_ thing to do.

Her delusional suitor, however, was about as far removed from sanity and reality as it was possible to be and still be functional. Not to mention he had no idea how far away the castle actually was. She had no idea they were still en route. Charon was doing his best to comfort her even though he, too, had little hope for Tier's survival at this point. Pike was pacing restlessly, but she had been doing this off and on over the past three days between shouting at the orderlies to let them out, sitting and trying to encourage Ahiru not to give up hope, or dozing due to lack of anything else to do.

The previous days had followed a pretty basic routine. In the morning, the orderlies would remove the barricade over the door into the forge, and bring in bowls of porridge and milk as a simple breakfast. They'd come in an hour or so later to retrieve them before rebuilding the barricade. Then they'd take it down again around noon and provide them with simple sandwiches and full water skins. They'd be fed a third time in the evening and the orderlies would take the empty water skins away with the dishes from their supper. They had been surprisingly conscientious about ensuring the trio was in no danger of starving or going thirsty.

Instead, the trio's miseries were limited to being cramped, worried, and – in Pike's case – torn between boredom and frustration. This day had started out much the same. Breakfast and lunch had already come and gone, and the trio expected the pattern to continue unchanged. Therefore, it was surprising when they heard a sudden commotion outside the door before it swung open to reveal a mildly annoyed Herr Katzenhaft. "Medwin," Charon exclaimed in surprise at the sight of the retired dancer, "What are you doing here?! How did you-"

"How did I learn of the predicament the three of you were in? I must say I wasn't expecting to hear such a thing," Herr Katzenhaft interrupted with a wry grin, "Let alone from such an unusual messenger." Ahiru looked up curiously before her eyes widened in shock as he reached into his coat and pulled out a familiar teacup, "Uzura!" "I found help-zura," the little cup chirped with a smile, "Sorry it took so long-zura…" "That would be my fault," the amber eyed man apologized, "I didn't feel comfortable acting alone, you see. So I spent some time gathering a little extra support before I came for you all."

The three who had been imprisoned in the forge emerged to find a small group of villagers restraining the orderlies with stern looks; Pike's parents foremost among them. They were holding a sword and axe respectively to the throats of two of the men. "Mother," Pike exclaimed in shock, "Father! You…" "When Medwin told us our little girl was in trouble, of course we felt the need to be involved," her father huffed as he shifted the grip on his axe before nodding at Charon politely, "Good to see you well, Charon. Can't believe that Brinkerhoff brat went this far. I always thought he was nothing more than a harmless nuisance, I'm afraid."

Ahiru's eyes watered as she remembered what Femio was really after and whimpered quietly. "Ahiru, dear what's the matter," Pike's mother asked with a concerned frown before a dark look crossed her face and she glowered down at the cowering orderlies, "Did these men do something inappropriate while you were all locked away?" "No, mom," the magenta-haired girl sighed, "It's not that. Trust me. It's just… Mom, Femio…he means to murder a dear friend of Ahiru's all because he can't accept that she isn't in love with him. Ahiru's terrified that he's already made it to Goldkrone Castle and that her friend is dead…but he can't be! He just can't!"

That prompted a whole round of explanations about who this friend was and why she felt so intensely about his survival. Her hypothesis that Tier may very well be the missing prince under a curse was dismissed at first until Uzura piped up. "Oooh," she cooed, "You know about Scaly Prince's curse too-zura?" "Scaly…Prince…," one of the townsfolk muttered in confusion, "Who's that?" "That's what she calls Tier, I think," Ahiru admitted uncertainly. "Because that's what he is-zura," the little teacup huffed, "He's all big and scaly, and he's a prince-zura. So Scaly Prince-zura!" The confirmation of Tier's identity was a considerable shock to everyone, except for Pike and Herr Katzenhaft who had concluded as much.

"It makes sense," the retired dancer sighed unhappily, "I just wish we had known sooner…" "Tier," the diminutive red-head whimpered quietly; she wanted to believe he was still alive, but it was so hard. "Wait," one of the orderlies piped up, "You're telling me that crazy man, his creepy cousin, and all those people he bribed are basically committing _treason_ by going after that thing?! Shit… You've got to stop them!" "How," Charon frowned, "It's only a day and a half's hard ride out to that forsaken place. They've probably arrived by now. There's no guarantee that the prince could even hold out that long."

"They didn't take horses," the orderly replied with a wry grin, "They left on foot. You can still catch them if you hurry." "Really," Ahiru exclaimed as she snapped her head up with a hopeful look, "We can still save Tier?!" "If you hurry," the restrained man repeated. "Why are you even helping us," Pike inquired with a frown, "You kept us locked up this whole time on that madman's orders!" The other orderlies pitched in as they explained that the only reason they had cooperated with Femio's orders was because they were _terrified_ of what Drosselmeyer would do to them if they disobeyed.

"But he wasn't even the one who told you to lock us up," Pike protested. "Doesn't matter," another orderly replied gloomily, "He's been entertained by everything that lunatic Femio had done up until now, and I don't even want to think of what he'd do to us if we interfered with his fun." "But that's crazy," Charon had pointed out, "The man runs an insane asylum. Why would he want to enable a madman?" The men explained that the asylum had not been a place of healing for years because Drosselmeyer was an sadistic psychopath…and that everyone from the inmates to the staff lived in fear of attracting the man's attention. The only way they could survive was to try to appease the madman by obeying his every whim; that, unfortunately, included going along with his enablement of Femio's decent into insanity.

The small group of townsfolk Herr Katzenhaft had gathered was utterly livid to hear of the man's atrocities. "That's terrible," one of the men exclaimed. "We should do something about this monster," another replied angrily. "Not yet," Pike's father frowned grimly, "First we need to help our prince. You need horses to make it out to Goldkrone castle in time, correct?" Ahiru nodded as she chewed her lip uneasily, "Fafnir can't carry more than two people…and I want Pike and Papa with me…" "Then it's a good thing we have some of the best horses in the region at our manor," Frau Falkenrath grinned smugly, "Pike, dear, I want you to take the black sword with you when you go. Show those scoundrels that the Falkenrath's still understand what it means to have a noble spirit!"

The magenta-haired young woman smirked and dropped a deep curtsey, "Of course, mother! I'll make you proud!" "I know you will, little rose," her mother replied with a smile, "You always have." Matters moved quickly after that. Charon, and Pike both made for Falkenrath manor with Herr Katzenhaft and Uzura tagging along. The retired dancer wasn't sure what help he'd be, but the little teacup had insisted her new friend come along too. The adult Falkenrath's returned to town to rally the rest of the population into confronting Herr Drosselmeyer and, hopefully, locking him away in his own asylum and appointing a new head. The orderlies proved to be more than willing to assist with this, and shared everything they knew about the layout. The old madman would be in for a rude awakening very soon.

While all of this was going on, Ahiru ran into the house, grabbed her cloak, slung it on, ran back outside, pulled Fafnir out of the stable, and started tacking him up. Upon finishing that she started to lead him around to the front of the house when she noticed Tier's magic book lying forlornly on the ground. The red-head picked it up and checked it over. It showed no signs of wear from being left out in the elements for three days. She placed it in one of her saddlebags before mounting the patient gelding and heading to the crossroad just outside of town to meet the others. It wasn't long before she saw three horses riding down the road from Falkenrath manor and started to wave enthusiastically.

"So," Pike asked sheepishly as she drew alongside her friend, "How do we get to Goldkrone Castle, exactly? I know where it is on a map, but…well, they're all about ten years out of date. The roads probably look different." "I can get us there," Ahiru promised, "Just follow me and Fafnir! We know the way well enough. Right, boy?" The horse flicked his ears and bobbed his head impatiently. He wanted his two-legged-not-horse herd-mate to stop with the mouth noises already so they could run. He'd been _bored_. "See," the red-head beamed, "Just follow us! Let's go, Fafnir!" The four riders spurred their mounts on and set off on the road to the mountains. And as they raced for those distant peaks, the young woman astride the brown gelding prayed desperately that they would make it to the castle in time.

 **A/N:** Ending it here because I've hit eleven pages and I'd rather not have another 20+ page climax chapter. I seem to end up writing those a lot. Besides…next chapter may still end up that long anyways. Now for a bit of explanation as to why they were locked up for so long; it involves a _**lot**_ of math. Basically, I knew the distance to the castle would take a horse a day and a half to cover…yet I never worked out the exact mileage. Yes, I am using miles instead of kilometers even though this is set in a fantasy copy of Europe. It's the unit of measurement for distance I am most familiar with. Anyways, first I looked up how far a horse could travel in a single day. A well-conditioned horse can apparently cover up to 60 miles…I decided Fafnir can cover about 40 miles a day at a reasonable pace…60 if pushed to his limits. So the castle is 60 miles away. Then I had to work out how long it would take the average human to cover that distance at a walking pace…and had to factor in terrain limitations since they are traveling through mountains. I ended up working this out as a long word problem. Not including all of it since it took me three quarters of a page to complete my calculations, but the end result was it would take an average person around four days to walk 60 miles. Then I modified it for story specifics to include time of departure and time of arrival. …It was a _**LOT**_ of math… You wouldn't think writing would involve math, but it does… It does… Particularly with how _I_ write; I include a lot of detail and I demand of myself that this detail is as accurate as possible. But the end result was that, in order for the climax to work out right, Ahiru and the others couldn't leave until late afternoon or early evening…which they did. It took a fair amount of time for them to make all those explanations, make it to the Falkenrath place, saddle up the horses, and meet up with our red-haired heroine. So it's around sunset (5 or 6 in the evening) when they set out. I may include this in future edits of this chapter but I just want to finish this before going into all of that. Also, I may need to find someone to read this over for me and fill me in on what details would be better off left out of the final version…because this is me and I am unlikely to be satisfied with this story as is even after I finish posting. Sheesh… Anyways, I'll see you all next chapter.


	14. The Battle Rages

**A/N:** And we are now at the really fun part of the climax…meaning the bit with all the fight scenes. Hopefully I can pull them all off. They're in my head in full color and detail…but the trick is converting what I see in my head into words. Might include the death scene in this chapter…or it might be put off until the next one. You all know it's coming. I just need to make up my mind as to where it will fit the best. Decisions, decisions… Regardless of where I put it, we are almost at the end of this story. There is only one more chapter left after this one. So shall we dive into the final stretch? Here we go! AH, wait! I almost forgot to explain something kind of important! By this point you will have noticed that Femio is capable of being quite rational in spite of the fact that he is…not in his right mind. That's because he is still capable of rational thought…to a point. That's what it means when someone is delusional. It means their brain is lying to them and they can't tell when it is and when it isn't. For the record, I'm not a licensed psychologist. Most of what I know comes from years of being in therapy myself (you can pick up a surprising amount of information through osmosis), and a semester of introductory psychology. There could be some glaring errors in my approach to this, but…eh, it works for the purposes of the plot. Well, let's get this started for real now.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not, have not, and will never own any of the things I am using for this fic. This includes Princess Tutu and Beauty and the Beast (either version) which belong to their respective owners.

Chapter 13: The Battle Rages

In the days since Ahiru's departure, the mood at the castle had grown increasingly grim. There was no hiding the fact that Tier was fading, and fading fast. He'd developed a persistent chill in his bones that caused him to shiver almost constantly, and nothing his servants tried could relieve it. Worse, the exhaustion plaguing him continued to grow until it got to the point that he spent more time asleep than he did awake. Even when conscious, his energy levels were still alarmingly low. It took all of his strength to make it even as far as the balcony doors, not that he bothered to move that far. Instead, on the rare occasions he got out of bed, he'd stagger over to the table the vase holding rose rested on, slump into the chair next to it, and just sit and glare at the wilting flower impatiently.

"I hate this," he grumbled tiredly to his best friend on one such occasion. "My prince," Mytho blinked in confusion. "Waiting to die," Tier clarified, "I just want it to be over and done with already…" The horrified expression that crossed the candelabra's brass face made the dragon-like man wince and explain further, "It's not that I _want_ to die. It's complicated…" "If it would make you feel better to talk about it," the enchanted candlestick smiled sadly, "I am willing to listen."

Tier sighed tiredly and rested his head in his hands before admitting, "I miss feeling warm, and I hate how weak and lethargic I am these days… I know it's going to get worse before the end, though. I remember when Autor's father died… Lingering for days as his body fought desperately to stay alive only to fail in the end…the pain he was in… I fear…that's what awaits me… I don't want that… If I have to die at least let it be quick…not slow and lingering…" "You don't want to suffer," Mytho summed up sympathetically. "Would anyone," the dragon-like man whispered back.

The enchanted candelabra knew a rhetorical question when he heard it, and so did not answer. Instead he offered a comforting pat on the back of his dying friend's scaled hand. "I'm scared, Mytho," Tier whispered bitterly, "I'm so very scared…" "Do you regret not telling Ahiru how you feel, then," the candlestick asked. "Never," the draconic humanoid retorted with quiet intensity, "It was the right thing to do! I know it!" He then sighed before confessing, "Doesn't make me any less terrified of dying, though…"

The dragon-like man was about to continue before a faint wince crossed his face and a soft cough slipped out of him. "Is something wrong," Mytho inquired with a concerned frown. "Chest feels a bit heavy today," Tier admitted quietly, "I can still breathe easily enough, but it is getting uncomfortable." The candelabra visibly cringed as he realized this was yet another symptom of his friend's imminent demise.

A sad smile crossed the draconic humanoid's face as he raised his head to look at his best friend and servant, "I am sorry, my friend." "For what," the enchanted candlestick wondered as he fought down his grief. "You shouldn't have to watch me waste away like this," the dying man replied quietly, "I'd spare you that much if I could…" "I'm not going to deny that it is heartbreaking," the golden-eyed light fixture sighed before grinning wryly, "But I would be a poor excuse for a friend if I let you suffer alone. I will be here by your side until the end." A weak smirk crossed Tier's face at that as he poked his friend lightly on his central candle, "You idiot…"

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A week and a half after Ahiru's departure, and the heaviness in Tier's chest had worsened to the point that it was a struggle for him to breathe. Raetsel frowned as she watched Johann adjust the dying prince's pillows to cushion his head more comfortably. The dragon-like man's eyelids fluttered in reaction to the movement yet did not open. "He's getting weaker," she whispered sadly. "We all knew it was inevitable," Autor sighed from his position on the bedside table, "It will be a miracle if he makes it to the end of the week…"

"The rose has only four petals left," the enchanted teapot lamented mournfully, "It's never shed them so fast before… How has it come to this?" The clock rubbed at the bridge of his carven nose and glanced at the head of the kitchen staff, "This is only a guess, but I think it is because the rate that the rose wilts is tied to the strength of his will to live. Even when he believed there was no hope of it being broken he clung to his resolve to survive as long as he could. Then Ahiru came… I can't deny that while she was here he seemed to be really living more than merely surviving. Then he let her go…and the rose has never wilted faster. I believe he's stopped fighting and accepted that he's going to die…"

"You truly believe that," Raetsel asked sadly. "It certainly seems to be the most likely explanation," Autor huffed before shaking his carven head in dismay, "To think he'd come so close to salvation before letting it just slip away…"A faint moan from the dying man interrupted their conversation as he stirred restlessly in his sleep. "My lord," the enchanted teapot called out anxiously, "Can you hear me?" The draconic humanoid only moaned again in his sleep as his brow furrowed before relaxing with a ragged sigh.

The clock sighed heavily and shook his head again as he turned to jump down, "What a _nightmare_ …" "Where are you going," Raetsel inquired with a slight frown. "I still have a household to run," Autor retorted tersely, "And, unlike Mytho, I fail to see how it helps to just sit and watch our lord slip away." "He's just doing what he can to provide comfort and companionship," the teapot scolded, "So that our lord knows he's not alone…" The enchanted timepiece merely scoffed bitterly as he continued to hop for the door, "And yet he continues to fade."

The teapot looked on sympathetically as he left the room. For all that Autor's words sounded callous and uncaring, she knew full well that working was the only way he could keep the grief at bay. They were all struggling to cope with their prince's imminent demise in their own ways. She spent hours in quiet conversation with her husband, which helped him to work through his own grief. Mytho did so by spending as much time with his friend as possible and channeled his grief into resolve. Rue would often go off on her own and weep in private before returning to her tasks, and occasionally stopped by to either watch him sleep or chat with him if he were awake. Johann did what he could to keep the dying man as comfortable as possible. Hermia cried until she fell asleep, woke up, and then cried some more.

Some of the staff moped, some were firmly in denial, and still others had come to a grim acceptance of the inevitable. All were coping in their own way…yet none were happy. For they loved their lord and all knew they would miss him terribly once he died. It was frankly astonishing how fast the staff had stopped dwelling on regaining their lost humanity once they learned of their master's decision to release Ahiru.

The consequences of the curse were cruel, and widely considered to be unfair to all of them…yet it was their prince's fate that concerned them the most. Even Autor, for all of his huffiness about how Tier had 'doomed them all', was far more concerned for the dying man than he was himself. "Please try to hold on a little longer, my lord," Raetsel pleaded quietly to the slumbering beast-man, "There is still hope! Ahiru may yet return! So please…hold on…" The draconic humanoid did not hear her and merely lay curled upon his bed, breathing raggedly, as the fourth remaining petal sagged, came free, and drifted down to join its brethren scattered around the foot of the vase.

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Over the next few days, the dying man's condition wavered unsteadily. Some days he was fully bed-ridden which drove him up a wall when he was actually conscious. He spent most of those sorts of days out cold. Yet on others he could move around his room, and he took advantage of those opportunities whenever he could. Tier may have been resigned to his fate, but he _hated_ the thought of spending his last days as a bed-ridden invalid. The problem was Autor did not agree with that mindset and made a point of lecturing the man every time he caught him out of bed.

It was starting to get on the prince's nerves. He understood that the whole reason the enchanted chamberlain was unhappy with him was that he was concerned, but it didn't make the repetitiveness of the clock's words any less annoying. 'It's bad enough that I'm dying,' he grumbled to himself as he cautiously moved to get out of bed on one of his good days, 'I don't need to have my ears assaulted by pointless lectures on top of everything else.' Fortunately, he didn't feel _too_ unsteady once he got to his feet. His energy levels tended not to last for very long, and it felt like each day he was able to be up and about for less and less time. Yet he would take what he could get. Anything was better than lying half-conscious in bed all day.

Tier figured he'd grab a book off of the wall shelf and move over to his table to read for a bit. He started to make his way across the room when the door swung open to admit the enchanted chamberlain. "What do you think you're doing out of bed," Autor snapped irately. 'Not this again,' the dragon-like man sighed internally as an irritated scowl spread across his face. "You're in no condition to be wandering around like that," the clock scolded, "You need to conserve your strength!" 'There's no point,' the dying prince retorted silently, 'I've told you this countless times, but you _never_ _ **listen**_ _!_ '

"Honestly, I can't say I'm surprised you persist in this foolishness," the enchanted timepiece continued with a scornful huff, "You've always been careless when it comes to taking care of yourself. Staying out in the cold for hours at a time, taking stupid risks for no good reason, going outside on the balcony when you're sick, wandering around aimlessly when you should be resting, not sleeping enough, and don't get me started on your eating habits. It's like you've no concern for your own well-being!" By this point the scowl on Tier's face had turned into a full glare.

Autor continued lecturing his prince disapprovingly, "This has got to stop, my lord. It's maddening and extremely stressful for the rest of us to deal with. We worry about you, and it's like you don't even care. But then you don't, do you? Heaven forbid his highness has any concern for anyone other than himself!" "You know that isn't true," Tier hissed. In all honesty, he was somewhat caught off guard by the sudden shift from reproachful scolding towards verbal assault. The chamberlain had never slipped into such unprofessional behavior before, and – if he weren't so annoyed – he might have been concerned over the sudden change.

The clock flinched slightly, but didn't back down, "Oh, that's right. You cared about that _girl_ so much that you let her go without _telling her how you feel!_ Never mind the consequences to anyone else, and with such stunning ease, too. You've come _such_ a long way. Bravo, my lord. Bravo." "Enough," the cursed man snapped angrily, "Don't you _dare_ suggest that letting Ahiru go was easy for me! It was the hardest thing I've ever done in my _life!_ I wanted her to stay! I wanted to selfishly keep her by my side forever!" "So why didn't you _tell her that_ ," Autor snapped back. "Because _I don't_ _ **deserve**_ _her_ ," the dying prince shouted before doubling over in a harsh coughing fit that left him gasping desperately for air.

The enchanted chamberlain cringed guiltily as he realized that he'd pushed too far and apologized as his prince struggled to catch his breath, "Forgive me, my lord. I let my frustration with our current situation get the better of me and I said things I did not mean." "Liar," Tier gasped weakly, "You…meant every…word…" He staggered slightly as he tried to stand back up and ended up having to lean heavily against the balcony doors to remain upright. That outburst had cost him most of his energy and he reluctantly admitted to himself that he was going to have to lie down again. He just didn't have the strength to do much else, and proceeded to get back into bed with a weak – yet thoroughly irritated – groan.

"Well, I can't really deny that I haven't _thought_ such things from time to time," Autor admitted reluctantly, "But actually _saying_ them… It was improper of me to have done so. My words were hurtful, cruel, and have left you in a terrible state." The dying man sighed and muttered breathlessly as he curled up on his side, "I'm _always_ in a terrible state…these days, Autor…and it's only going to keep…getting worse. We both know this. Getting angry like that…certainly didn't help…but it's not killing me…any faster than anything…else right now." He then sighed again and fell into a restless sleep before the clock had a chance to respond.

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Two more days passed and the dying man was – once again – unable to get out of bed for either. The reason why became apparent on the second day when one of the two remaining petals fell free and drifted to the tabletop. No one had any idea of how long the last petal would hang on for, but all knew that Tier's remaining time was nearly spent. Whether he had days left, or only mere hours; it didn't really matter at this point. One by one, the servants started to give up hope that Ahiru would return in time to save their prince. The dying man himself, of course, had never believed that she would return and so didn't fall any further into depression than he already was. Soon the only one in the castle who still held out hope for the red-head's return was Mytho; much to the frustration of a certain clock.

"How can you still delude yourself into thinking she'll be back," Autor snapped angrily at the enchanted maitre'd. A crack of lightning outside served to punctuate his words as a storm built outside. It had been steadily building over the past day and only now showed signs that it was growing ready to unleash its fury. "As much as I hate to admit it, he has a point," Rue agreed morosely, "We can't reasonably expect Ahiru to suddenly have realized that she loves our lord and be racing back here as we speak to tell him so. It's foolish." Raetsel, who was also in the library with the other three, said nothing, but the dejected look on her face spoke volumes. She, too, had given up. "Well then, perhaps I'm a fool," Mytho frowned, "But I simply cannot give up on either her or my prince so easily. I will continue to hold on to what little hope remains until my brother breathes his last. Only then will I admit defeat and no sooner."

Autor opened his mouth to continue berating the enchanted maitre'd when the faint, muffled echo of the discordant screech of metal grinding against metal reached their ears. "That came from the gates across the bridge," Mytho shared a concerned look with the other three servants sequestered in the library. Raetsel frowned thoughtfully before her eyes widened as a desperate spark of hope flared to life, "Could…could it possibly be that Ahiru has returned after all?" "Impossible," the clock breathed as he hopped down from his perch on his lectern and made his way over to the massive window overlooking the bridge, "There's no way…" Yet even he felt a spark sputtering to life.

The candlestick watched as Rue moved to join the other two as the hurried over to the window, but did not join them. In their desperation they had forgotten one important thing about those gates. Namely, that on the night they were all cursed the gatekeepers had also been effected. Yet, unlike the rest of them, they didn't so much change shape as find their bodies and minds forcibly joined with the gates they managed. They could neither move nor speak, but still retained full awareness of their surroundings. They had not barred either Ahiru or her father from passing through for they were clearly not a threat to anyone in the castle. They had been welcomed. Yet the gatekeepers did not admit _everyone_ so readily. If they judged anyone who approached the gates to be a threat, then they would strive to hold themselves _shut_ and bar the person – or people – access.

However, if the threatening individuals managed to force their way passed, the gatekeepers would sound the alarm the only way they could. By flexing their hinges in such a way that the iron posts grinded against the rings locking them in place and causing the very sound the servants in the library had just heard to echo across the gorge. The natural acoustics of the massive gash in the surrounding peaks were _perfect_ for creating a loud echo if the original noise was itself loud enough, so this was an effective warning. Mytho remembered all of this and felt a twinge of foreboding over what he would see as he finally moved to join the others peering through the window. As he snuffed the flames of his candles to cut some of the glare, he was able to make out the glow of torches on the far end of the bridge.

"That's not Ahiru," the candlestick scowled, "We're under attack!" "I can see that," Autor hissed tensely as Rue and Raetsel both exchanged concerned frowns. "I should have remembered that sound was gatekeepers' alarm call! The guards will already be moving to slow whoever those people are down," the enchanted chamberlain continued, "But they won't be able to hold them off forever. We should rally the staff to barricade the castle doors and prepare our defenses!" "We should inform his lordship, as well," Mytho stated as the other three moved to carry out the clock's suggestions and his words made them pause.

"He's in no condition to fight," Raetsel worried, "Perhaps we shouldn't worry him." The enchanted timepiece shook his head, "He's still the prince. Protocol dictates he must be kept informed of such things. It is only proper that I do so." "No offense, Autor," Rue pointed out, "But he's been rather annoyed with you for the past few days. Perhaps someone else should talk to him." "I'll do it," the teapot volunteered, "The kitchen staff has been a bit…preoccupied lately." She wasn't sure how to tell the others that Uzura had gone missing some time ago and that her parents had been driving everyone crazy with their demands to help them find her as soon as they'd noticed. It had taken a few days; they had a _lot_ of kids… "I'm…not sure how much help we'd be in creating barricades," Raetsel concluded hesitantly having decided not to bring up her missing niece. This wasn't the time.

"The rest of us can handle that part," Mytho assured her as he moved to join his companions, "Just try to make it back down in time to prepare them to fight if the barricades should fall." "It shouldn't take me long to inform his lordship and maybe get some direction on how we should repel those vagabonds," the teapot smiled reassuringly, "I can manage that." Rue, naturally, would be rallying the housekeeping staff while Mytho chose to handle the footmen, chamber maids, and manservants. Autor would cover everyone else aside from the kitchen staff. Their plans made, the head servants separated to carry out their tasks with all haste. They had no idea how much time they'd actually have to fortify their home and prepare themselves to fight if need be, but they were resolved to do their best regardless. They _would_ protect their prince!

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As the gates to the castle loomed ahead, Femio could not fully suppress the eager grin that spread across his face. It had taken him far longer to reach the isolated castle than he would have liked, yet he and his followers had finally arrived. He could hardly wait to confront the monster that had stolen his beloved Ahiru's heart and deal with it once and for all! Once it was dead she would have no choice but to love him! The townsfolk who'd tagged along weren't quite as eager, in spite of the lure of the castle's riches and the payment the deluded young man had promised them.

It had been a long, four day hike across the valley and through mountainous terrain. They were starting to wonder if it was even worth the effort. After all, that Tier creature had looked pretty formidable from what they recalled, and the thought that they might have to face that thing after traveling all this way… More than a few of them would have happily turned around and gone right back home if they didn't think their neighbors wouldn't rub it in their faces afterwards.

"So that's Goldkrone Castle," Lilie mused quietly to herself as her cousin turned to address his followers once more. It wasn't easy to make out with the looming storm clouds blocking out the light from the moon and stars. The only reason she could tell it was there were the lights in the distant windows, and the silhouette it formed against the clouds when they lit up with lightning. In the back of her mind, the whole atmosphere struck her as being almost threatening. Yet where most would have been frightened or discouraged by this, the blonde woman was instead excited. She could just about _smell_ the impending battle and could hardly wait. If only her dear cousin wasn't so fond of the sound of his own voice…

"My friends," Femio proclaimed grandiosely, "At long last we have arrived at the beast's ill-begotten lair! Too long has this creature infested the halls of this most noble of residences! Too long has it been a blight on our kingdom!" More than a few townsfolk rolled their eyes at that claim. Even the rumors made it clear that the creature never ventured forth from the castle after it took up residence. It didn't terrorize travelers on the main roads. It didn't raid nearby villages. It didn't really do much of anything. In light of that, calling it's presence a blight was a major exaggeration.

Femio was not deterred from continuing his impromptu speech, "We shall liberate both castle and kingdom from this monster's oppression! Indeed, it is only right that we do so for who else other than us knows of the true threat it poses! Of the plague it spreads with each moment that it draws breath! We shall be as a cleansing fire and should there be some devastation left in our wake… Such is the nature of fire that it destroys as it purifies! Yet it is necessary that it be done! Come now, my friends! Let us put an end to the evil that dwells beyond these gates once and for all! Who's with me!?"

The townsfolk simply stared back at him blankly for a few moments before one young woman asked, "Is he done yet?" "I think so," an older man replied as the flamboyant young man sagged despondently, "He's stopped flapping his gums at least." "Thank God," another man sighed, "I just want to get this over with." "Hear, hear," several others exclaimed. Femio sighed to himself and shook his head, 'Really, their apathy is just appalling. Still, they will serve my needs well enough. I just wish they would show a bit more spirit about all of this.' "I'm with you," Lilie chirped, "Shall we press on, then?" "Ah, my dear Lilie," the unstable young man smiled at his cousin, "I can always count on you. Yes! Onwards, my friends! To yonder castle! And then…victory!"

The flamboyant young man spun on his heel and tugged at the gates, yet they refused to budge. "Hm," he mused thoughtfully, "It appears the gates are locked. Does anyone know how to pick a lock?" "I do," Lilie beamed as she pulled out a hairpin, "Just give me a minute." Femio stepped to the side as the leading townsfolk gave her uneasy looks. They were a little disturbed by the idea that not even a locked door could keep the crazy girl out if she really wanted in. Eventually, after she fiddled about with the massive, built-in lock, it gave a click and she stood to announce her success. However, before she could even speak it gave another click. The gates had re-locked themselves.

The sadistic blonde scowled and went back to work for another minute before she had it unlocked again, but this time she kept her hand on the hairpin to hold it in place. "It's unlocked," she announced, "But I can't really help open them. These gates seem to want to stay locked." Femio shook his head indulgently as he moved to open the gates again, "Now really, Lilie dear, don't be ridiculous. Gates can't choose whether to remain locked or unlocked. That would be _insane_." Yet as he tried to open them once more, the wrought iron gates resisted his efforts. Undeterred, the unhinged young man directed several of the more robust men to help him force them open.

Under their joint effort, the gates gradually started to shift with a low, protesting groan. Encouraged by this slight success, Femio gestured for even more of the townsfolk to assist with forcing the gates. The hinges continued to groan in protest before finally the gates swung back with a long, drawn-out, discordant screech of metal grinding against metal. The noise made the townsfolk cringe, and their discomfort only worsened as the sound echoed across the gorge – seeming to grow even louder as it bounced back and forth before finally fading away.

"We're going to die," one man sighed despondently as the noise faded, "It knows we're coming now." "Come now," Femio coaxed, "There's no need to feel that way. No doubt these gates haven't seen a speck of maintenance for the last ten years. Some deterioration is to be expected! They probably made just as much of a racket when my beloved Ahiru and her father ventured out to this forsaken place. At most, the creature knows it has visitors. It won't be expecting an attack!"

Lilie wasn't convinced that this was all it was. The gate had _definitely_ locked itself, after all. She was willing to believe that the gates' resistance wasn't due to neglect, but the gates themselves not wanting to open. Which meant the noise was a warning. She saw no point in sharing her thoughts on the matter. Whether the battle to come came sooner or later didn't matter to her. Just that it _happened_ and that she was there to witness it.

Femio led the townsfolk across the bridge as the first few drops of rain started to fall, and by the time they reached the middle it was a full downpour. The heavy rain made it hard to see very far ahead and started a few people grumbling quietly about how all the riches in the world weren't worth being this damp and miserable. The sound drowned out their complaints, though, so they all pressed onwards. As they drew near to the far end, however, some peculiar shapes could just be made out through the pouring rain and the faint light from the castle. "What is that," one of the women asked as she peered through the storm.

Almost as though it were trying to be helpful, a stroke of lightning lit up the area as it struck one of the castle spires. The odd shapes were barricades with swords, spears, axes, and bows leaning up against them. They were scattered along the last quarter of the bridge and all across the court of honor beyond. "The stories never said anything about barricades," an older man mumbled uneasily, "They all claimed the prince and his household were caught completely off guard… But if that's true…what are these doing here?" The sound of the storm drowned out his words, but his discomfort with the barricades being present still spread throughout the rest of the townsfolk until only Femio and Lilie were unshaken.

Femio ignored the rapidly declining morale of his followers. He did note the presence of the barricades and weapons as being a bit odd, but convenient. If the townsfolk would just claim some of the weapons for their own they might last a bit longer against the creature. It didn't occur to him that they might view the weapons as unnatural and so avoid them out of fear. It was an unfortunate blind spot. As for Lilie, if anything the growing atmosphere of fear enveloping the townsfolk delighted her. In her mind nothing made an impending battle to the death more intoxicating than when it was preceded by a sense of dread.

The unease of the townsfolk grew as they drew nearer to the barricades and cautiously began to edge their way passed them. The wood and metal structures were in near pristine condition which meant they couldn't have been sitting out in the open for the past ten years. Furthermore, the weapons leaning against them were well maintained and, as one man found out when he curiously reached out to run his finger against one of the blades, sharpened to a keen edge. "I don't like this," that man hissed to the older gentleman next to him as he stuck his bleeding fingers in his mouth.

"It's unnatural," the older man agreed, "There's no way these weapons and barricades should be so well maintained if the only living thing out this way is that Tier creature. What if he isn't alone?" "The stories never said the Beast of Goldkrone Castle had helpers," a woman fretted, "Facing that creature alone is bad enough! We don't stand a chance if there are _more_ of them!" "This place is cursed," one of the men near the back of the crowd muttered as he uneasily eyed a nearby axe. His nerves weren't helped by the faint chuckle that seemed to come from the axe before another bolt of lightning flashed through the air and he hurried onwards.

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Within the castle walls, there was a frenzy going on as the servants raced around finding things to brace against the front doors to buy them time to get organized. Hermia was leaning heavily against the growing pile of tables, chairs, and other such pieces of furniture. She reasoned that her large bulk and considerable weight would provide far more difficult to budge than anything else that could be brought over in time. Madame Koza had turned over several long pieces of leather to tie everything together for extra reinforcement, and two lengths had ended up woven between the handles by a maid who felt it would help at least a little.

"It's not going to be enough," Rue fretted uneasily as she helped adjust the position the chaise from the parlor on the pile. "I know," Mytho agreed as he tied it down with yet another leather strap, "I fear we're going to have to fight once this last defense falls." "How are we supposed to fight off a large group of humans, though," she protested, "Hermia might be able to manage well enough, but most of us aren't that big! And I'm a _feather duster_ … What am I supposed to do? Tickle them to death?!"

"We don't need to kill them," the candlestick frowned thoughtfully, "We don't even have to hurt them. Think about it. We're animate household items and pieces of furniture. The shock of being attacked by things that shouldn't be able to move on their own should be enough to frighten most of these intruders off. It's worked in the past when his lordship couldn't be bothered." "You think we can scare these people away," Rue asked incredulously as Johann hopped by with the dining room table in tow.

"It's probably our best chance," Mytho admitted, "One thing we have going for us is that some of us _can_ do damage. I can burn people, for example. Hermia can knock people over or, if necessary, crush them. Johann can strike people with his arms. Raetsel can scald people with boiling water. You get the idea. Once they see their comrades being injured, it won't matter that most of us are harmless. All they will know is that we can hurt _them_ and that there's no guarantee they can hurt _us_ since, as far as they are aware, we aren't even supposed to be alive. I'd like to avoid killing anyone if at all possible, though."

"If it comes down to a fight, I'm willing," Hermia piped up from where she was leaning against the pile, "I'd rather not crush _anyone_ if I can avoid it. I don't mind knocking them over or giving them bruises, though." "If we must resort to fisticuffs," Johann sighed once he was sure the dining room table was secure, "I can hold my own." "We might not be able to hurt them," one of the feather duster maids piped up, "But we can trip people up and scatter dust in their eyes if it comes down to it." "I can flop over people's faces and blind them for a few moments," a maid in the form of a polishing cloth suggested.

More and more servants started to mention things they could do to injure or at least impede the invaders threatening the castle until Rue finally turned to her fiancé with a wry grin. "You," she accused teasingly, "Are quite the devious little mastermind. You've gotten our morale up with only a few well-chosen words." Mytho blinked back at the love of his life innocently, "Am I? I suppose I have had a few clever moments in the past, but I wouldn't say I'm a _mastermind_." The feather duster laughed lightly before hopping up and planting a kiss right on his brass lips effectively short-circuiting his brain for a few moments. "Well, what are you all waiting for," the garnet-eyed dusting implement demanded as she turned back around to face the rest of the servants, "Stop running around in a panic and find the best place you can to ambush these invaders from!"

The other servants moved to obey as Mytho continued to stare blankly at the wall with a blissful grin plastered across his face. "Useless as always, I see," Autor huffed as he hopped down the stairs with Raetsel following close behind. "Not useless," the candlestick mumbled while still in a partial daze, "Just had a brilliant plan. Rue kissed me for it. That makes it brilliant." "Clearly we have different definitions of what constitutes brilliance," the clock scoffed with a jealous scowl. "Still brilliant," the enchanted maitre'd retorted dreamily.

"We'll see…and stop grinning like that," the timepiece demanded as he reached the bottom of the stairs, "It makes you look like even more of a brainless fool than normal!" Rue ignored the insult to her fiancé as she focused on the worried looking teapot, "Raetsel! Did you talk to his lordship? What did he say?" Raetsel winced and sighed heavily, "I did… I told him about the danger we were in, but…" Mytho finally snapped out of his daze at the distress in the older servant's voice and focused on her, "Perhaps you should start from the beginning." The enchanted piece of crockery nodded and started to explain.

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 _ **Raetsel nudged the door of the prince's chambers open and was slightly relieved to see him fully dressed and sitting at the rose's table for a change. Clearly, this was one of his good days. "My lord," the teapot spoke up courteously, "It's good to see you up and about again." Tier sighed heavily before issuing a quiet request, "Go away and leave me be. I'm not in the mood for company right now…" He was leaning heavily on his forearms as he stared down at the pile of petals around the foot of the vase. "I wish I could obey, my lord," the enchanted crockery apologized, "But I'm afraid I have terrible news."**_

" _ **We're under attack aren't we," the dragon-like man sighed again without raising his head. "Well…yes," the painted woman stammered uncertainly, "How…how did you know?" "I'm dying," he replied drily, "Not deaf. I heard the gatekeepers' alarm earlier." "Ah, of course," Raetsel nodded, "Mytho and the others are in the process of rallying the rest of the servants to prepare what defenses we can, but if there is anything else you feel we should be doing to prepare I would know of it." Tier shook his head slowly, "Nothing." "What," the teapot blinked in confusion, "Are you sure there is nothing else we should be concerned about?"**_

" _ **Forgive me," the dying man murmured, "I wasn't clear enough. I meant you should do nothing at all." The enchanted teapot froze in horror before stammering, "I…I don't understand… What do you mean by that, my lord?!" "If these people seek to end my life," the scaled man replied quietly as he turned to gaze out onto his balcony, "Then I see no reason why they shouldn't be allowed to. Better a swift death at the hands of a mob than continuing to wait like this. So let them come. I'm tired of just wasting away…" "You don't mean that," Raetsel pleaded. "I'm sorry, Raetsel," Tier sighed again before turning to face her with a sad smile on his face, "I really am. I just don't want to suffer any more. One way or the other…it ends tonight." He then turned his attention back to the wilting remnants of the rose and murmured, "Now if there's nothing else… Please leave."**_

"And that's when I left," Raetsel sighed sadly, "I couldn't think of anything else to say." Mytho remained silent for a few moments as the other two stared at her in horror before stating flatly, "I'm not doing it." "What," Rue blinked as she looked back at her fiancé, "Not doing what?" "I'm not going to just do nothing and let whoever's out there murder my best friend," the candlestick replied in the same even tone, "I don't care if its insubordinate. I won't just stand aside and let him die." "Neither will I," Autor agreed firmly. That drew startled looks from the other three servants and he huffed agitatedly. "Just because I believe in proper decorum and protocol doesn't mean there aren't times where it is _right_ to disobey his highness," he explained with an irritated scowl, "This is one of those times."

"Well said," Mytho beamed once he got over his surprise, "So now that that's cleared up, I should probably tell Raetsel the new plan." "What new plan," both teapot and clock asked. The candlestick smirked, "We're going to ambush the invaders and send them running away screaming in abject terror about the 'haunted castle'." He then proceeded to explain what he had in mind as the trio made their way into the kitchens while Rue remained behind. "I can't believe that idiot prince expects us to just let him die," she huffed indignantly as she moved to join the other feather duster maids, "He should really know us better than that."

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When Femio and his followers finally reached the castle doors, the flamboyant young man was somewhat irritated to discover they would not open. "Coward must have locked himself in," he sniffed dismissively before turning to the men who'd helped him with the gates and ordered ,"Break them down!" The men looked at the massive, iron bound, oaken doors, at each other, and finally returned their attention to the delusional man as one of them stated incredulously, "You can't be serious. How do you expect us to do that?" "Just ram it with your shoulders a few times," the brown-violet haired man shrugged.

"Our bones would break before those doors would," another man protested, "We'd need some sort of battering ram to breach those things!" "Then go back into the woods, cut down a tree, and use that," Femio huffed, "Or use one of those axes lying around to chop through them. Just so long as you get them _open_!" The men eyed the axes uneasily as another bolt of lightning flashed across the sky. While they weren't all that fond of the idea of going all the way across the wet, stone bridge, and dragging a tree all the way back – not to mention maneuvering it passed the barricades in the pouring rain – they liked it a lot better than using one of those cursed weapons.

It took them close to two hours to find a suitable tree, cut it down, trim the branches enough to make it manageable, and return to the doors. The storm was still raging furiously overhead and showed no signs of dying down any time soon. If anything it was becoming even more active with the lightning building in intensity and frequency. The townsfolk huddling near the castle steps were desperately wishing they were anywhere else and let out a ragged cheer when the men returned. They just wanted to be indoors and out of the storm! Even the risk of running into the creature that dwelled in the castle sounded more appealing than remaining outside!

By this point, the men shared that sentiment and didn't hesitate to bring their make shift battering ram to bear against the solid castle doors. Again and again they slammed it against the doors, yet they barely gave with each strike. Eventually, though, the on looking townsfolk noticed a thin gap between the doors. They were opening! They started shouting encouragement, and the men redoubled their efforts until, finally, there was a faint snap and the doors swung inwards slightly before catching on something.

The townsfolk all moved forward to push on the castle doors to open them the rest of the way; they were desperate to get out of the storm. The room beyond was dark, so they could not see what the doors were caught on. They could hear the sound of wood scraping across stone, though, and the creak of straining leather. There were a series of faint, twanging snaps before a clattering racket heralded the doors opening fully. A flash of lightning revealed a tumbled pile of random pieces of furniture to either side of the door with several forlorn shreds of leather hanging off of them and scattered on the floor. It also lit up some of the room beyond to give the townsfolk a brief glimpse of a large, sparsely decorated hall.

Seconds later the darkness returned and the townsfolk hesitated to move any further inwards. More than a few of them were seriously regretting ever letting their greed get the best of them by this point. However, they could not turn back now. They were committed to seeing this endeavor through one way or the other. Femio and Lilie pushed through the townsfolk impatiently before peering around the darkened room. "Stay wary, my friends," the flamboyant young man hissed as he drew the rapier hanging at his waist, "The creature could be anywhere…just waiting to catch us by surprise!" "Oh," one of the men mumbled uneasily, "Great."

"I can't see anything," Lilie hissed irately into her cousin's ear. There was no point to her being here if she couldn't see the bloodshed. "There must be candles or lanterns lying around somewhere," Femio replied, "We just have to find them. Onwards!" The townsfolk reluctantly started to move further into the hall when a young man's voice suddenly shouted, " _Now!_ " The hall abruptly flared with light as the candles on the pillars burst into flame causing the humans in the room to cringe and cover their eyes as they were temporarily blinded. In that instant the enchanted servants launched their ambush!

The feather duster maids darted between people's feet with bolts of cloth donated by Madame Koza tied around them. Johann, Hermia, and the other larger enchanted servants charged out of the corner of the room with furious battle cries. Several people staggered backwards at the sight and tripped on the cloth twinned between their feet leaving them at the mercy of a rain of dust and polishing rags dropping from the ceiling and landing on their faces. More and more random objects emerged from the corners of the room and the passages leading into the halls beyond to attack. Some of the townsfolk started to scream and cower back while others raised the makeshift weapons they had brought with them and started fighting back as best as they could. It was utter insanity!

As the situation in the hall continued to grow ever more chaotic, Femio and Lilie were separated and the flamboyant young man found himself momentarily lost. He had no idea how to handle being attacked by _furniture_ of all things and cringed away from the worst of the fighting as he struggled to come to terms with it. The servants nearby ignored him reasoning from his behavior that he would probably flee without further instigation on their part. And flee he did, though not in the direction they would have preferred. Instead of heading for the doors, the brown-violet haired young man darted up the stairs at the far end of the hall and disappeared into the upper floors of the castle.

While he was freaked out by the ambush of living household items and furniture, he was still bound and determined to eliminate the creature he blamed for stealing his Ahiru away. If anything, the sudden attack made him even more convinced that the monster had terrible magical powers at his disposal. Clearly he had enchanted everything in the castle to viciously attack those who sought to destroy him! He had to hurry! The creature must be stopped once and for all, and he was clearly the only one who could! He'd be hailed as a hero once he returned victorious! He just knew it!

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Meanwhile, Ahiru and Fafnir led the way through the mountains as the distant flashes of lightning from the storm around the castle lit up the horizon. "How much further is it," Pike asked as she fought down the urge to yawn. "Not much farther," the red-head assured her friend, "Once we reach the top of that ridge we'll only be an hour's ride away if we hurry." "Do you think mommy and daddy will be mad at me for leaving-zura," the little teacup asked from her perch in Mr. Katzenhaft's coat. "I think they be happier that you're back and safe," Charon assured her.

They had been driving the horses pretty hard for the past day or so with no more than a few hours rest in the middle of the day and at night. Their only real meals were during these rests and they snacked the rest of the time on a mix of nuts and dried berries Pike had swiped from the kitchens before they left her manor. It had been rough on all of them, but they'd made good progress. Once they reached the ridge, the quintet paused and allowed their horses a few minutes to rest before they covered the final stretch. They didn't really talk as they were occupied with their own thoughts.

Charon was a bit uneasy to return to the castle. Even though he now knew that Tier was far from the vicious monster he'd assumed him to be, the memories of his initial visit still haunted him. He wasn't sure he could face the man without giving into the fear from their first encounter, but he would try his best. He was willing to give him a second chance for his daughter's sake. Mr. Katzenhaft was torn between excitement over meeting an actual prince – even if he _was_ cursed – and concern for the townsfolk who had followed Femio. Ahiru had assured them that her dragon-like friend _probably_ wouldn't hurt them if he could avoid it, but… The retired dancer knew full well that greed could drive otherwise decent people to do terrible things. If forced to defend himself…the ballet instructor knew the townsfolk would not come out of the ordeal unscathed.

Pike was impatient for a number of reasons. She wanted to stop Lilie and Femio before they harmed the prince. She wanted to yell at the townsfolk for being idiots and make it clear to them that greed was _not_ an excuse to commit treason. She wanted to meet Tier and judge for herself if he was good enough to court her best friend. She wanted to see Goldkrone Castle. Most of all, she wanted to see Ahiru smiling with all her new friends safe and unharmed.

As for the Ahiru…she just wanted everyone to be safe and unharmed when she arrived; even Femio. While the others were lost in thought, the blue-eyed young woman reached into her saddlebag and pulled out the enchanted book Tier had given her. It's pages had been flickering faintly and she was worried it had been damaged somehow. She still did not know that Uzura's earlier usage had pushed the enchantment to its breaking point and that it was now slowly fading away. The red head did not open it, though. Instead, she ran her hand along its cover and prayed silently for her friends back at the castle.

'Please,' she pleaded, 'Please let them be safe… I want to talk with Rue and Hermia again! I want to see Raetsel and Mytho smile and laugh again! I want to see Autor's frumpy face again! And I want… I want to be with Tier! I want to talk with him, and hear him tease me, and ruffle my hair, and dance with me, and just be there! I want him to see him smile and hear his laugh again!' It had occurred to her that she was missing her draconic friend far more than she thought she would after only a few weeks, yet miss him she did. It almost hurt. More than anything, she just wanted to see him and have him near. 'Please be safe, Tier,' Ahiru prayed as she felt the first few drops of rain carried on the wind fall on her face, 'Please!'

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The battle in the hall continued. Mops and brooms tripped humans and struck out at them with their handles when they could. Rolling pins rolled underfoot causing people to stumble and fall before tea caddies and footstools bowled them the rest of the way over. A dresser shot out one of its drawers to catch a man in the gut before he fell over coughing and gasping from the cloud of dust a feather duster whipped into his face. Raetsel lined up the other teapots, cups, bowls, and mugs along the balconies and kept them stocked with hot water that they dumped on people below when the opportunity arose.

The room was filled with yelps of pain, screams of shock and fear, and groans, gasps, and wheezing from those who had been incapacitated. Hermia swung her doors left and right to knock her attackers back, and occasionally charged forward with a sudden shout to break up groups of townsfolk who looked to be ganging up on one of the others. Johann proved to be a formidable boxer as he dodged, weaved, and hopped in circles about his opponents – landing firm blows whenever he spotted an opening. Mytho wove through the battle giving more than a few combatants an extremely distracting case of hot foot.

Finally, one man staggered back with a snarl, "I've had enough! That lunatic isn't paying me enough for this!" He then turned and ran back out through the castle doors into the storm. Several others joined him, but they didn't get far before the weapons that had been lying about sprang into action. "Halt," a particularly ornate battle axe demanded, "Lay down your arms and surrender! Resistance will be met with lethal force!" The small group of townsfolk promptly obeyed; they were firmly herded into the stables where a spear and sword stood guard to prevent their escape.

The remaining townsfolk were unaware of the fate that met those who had fled though. They continued to fight back as best as they could, but the battle had already been lost. More and more of them decided they'd had enough and tried to flee. They were then intercepted by the weapons outside, disarmed, and imprisoned in the stable. A stubborn few, however, continued to fight back. Lilie was among these. This wasn't exactly the battle she'd been expecting, but she was enjoying it immensely. She only wished she had not lost sight of Femio in the chaos and wondered how he was faring.

As the battle wound down, Mytho slipped out of the fight and sought out Autor who had been coordinating the waves of attacks from one of the side rooms. "What do you think," he asked as he gestured back to the small group of humans still fighting and the far larger number whimpering on the ground. "I'd say we managed to pull a victory out of this mess. The larger servants should be more than capable of managing the last few holdouts," the clock mused thoughtfully, "I'll head out to talk to the Captain of the Guard about getting the wounded moved out into the stables with the other prisoners. Then I suppose we should track down Agnes and talk her into heading out to take care of their injuries. After that, it's just a matter of working out who the ringleader was and dealing with them appropriately."

"His lordship isn't going to be happy with us," the candlestick sighed. "No," Autor agreed, "He's not. We deliberately disobeyed him." Mytho turned back to the remnants of the battle behind him and frowned, "…I think I'm going to go check on him." "Oh," the clock glanced at the enchanted maitre'd curiously, "Why would you do that? He told Raetsel he wanted to be left alone, and it's not as though he's in any danger. There's no way anyone slipped passed our defenses." "I just have a bad feeling," the candelabra admitted as he gazed over at the stairs, "A _very_ bad feeling."

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Mytho's feeling of foreboding was well justified for Autor had been mistaken. Someone had slipped by and was steadily making his way up into the North Wing where Tier was silently watching the storm. The dying man had pulled the chair next to the table over to the balcony doors which he'd cracked open slightly. The sound of the rain falling on the stone balcony was almost soothing and it made the wait a bit more tolerable. He sighed faintly as he heard the door to his room open and glanced back to see a nervous Femio slipping in.

The flamboyant young man had sheathed his rapier on the way up and instead pulled out a small crossbow which he raised shakily to aim at the scaled man. Tier only sighed again and turned back to the view outside. He was tired of being cold, tired of having to struggle for each breath, tired of feeling so weak, and just tired of _dying_. A swift end at the hands of this random stranger was better than having to wait any longer for the curse to finish him off. He closed his eyes and allowed a bitter smile to grace his face for a few moments before it faded once more. He just wanted an end to his suffering…

Unfortunately, Femio was both anxious and not very good with a crossbow at the best of times. He planned on finishing off the creature with a single shot, but – when he pulled the trigger – he twitched and squeaked from the recoil causing the bolt to miss his intended target. Instead of burying itself in Tier's heart it slammed through his crippled wing and deep into his shoulder before coming to rest against the bone of his shoulder blade. The impact drew a gasping cry of pain from the dying man's throat as he clutched at the injury.

Terrified that the creature might recover and attack him, the flamboyant young man dropped the crossbow, ran across the room, and tackled the injured man hard enough that they both tumbled out onto the balcony. The dragon-like man rolled away from his attacker and weakly grabbed onto the bannister to pull himself to his feet with a series of pained gasps and moans. Femio still wasn't willing to give him the chance to recover though and tackled him again with a furious cry. The two men fell over the edge of the balcony and rolled down the roof below until they landed on the narrow walkway that ran along the edge of the walls of the keep.

Tier blinked dazedly as he lay sprawled on the wet stone and gasped for air. He simply didn't have the energy to do anything more. Femio stared down at his adversary and sneered in distaste. This was all the dreaded Beast of Goldkrone Castle was capable of? He was a bit disappointed, but was not about to be ungrateful for whatever force had drained the creature of its strength. Any advantage that contributed to his victory was to be appreciated, not discarded. "Get up," he demanded coldly as he drew his rapier once more. The injured man only glanced over at him hazily before closing his eyes in exhaustion. He had no intention of fighting.

"Get up," the flamboyant young man demanded a second time as he aimed a vicious kick at the creature's ribs. The dragon-like man cried out in pain as he rolled across the length of the walkway and curled into a ball once he came to rest closer to the edge. A ragged moan slipped out of him as he struggled to catch his breath. Femio smirked faintly as he realized that this was going to be easier than he ever anticipated. He didn't even _need_ the townsfolk. All he'd have to do was drive his blade into the creature's heart and it would all be over. "This is the Beast of Goldkrone Castle," he mused mockingly as he stalked over to his adversary's limp form and used his foot to roll the dying man onto his back. Tier's chest shuddered as he struggled to breathe before a weak cough and groan escaped him.

"Know this, foul creature," Femio proclaimed pompously as he rested the point of his blade against the scaled man's throat, "Your end comes at the hands of the great Femio Brinkerhoff!" Tier merely rolled his head to the side and waited. He idly noted that his hearing was starting to go and the part of him that wasn't focused on the pain he was in wondered if this nutcase would finish him off or if the curse would beat him to it. It was fifty-fifty at this point.

The flamboyant man shifted his blade away from the weakened man's throat and shook his head in disgust, "How utterly pathetic…" He then raised the slender blade and prepared to plunge it into the creature's chest when a sudden cry from the courtyard below caught both men's attention, "Stop it!" Femio hesitated as the dragon-like man's eyes flicked open and he raised his head slightly to see over the edge of the roof. Tier's faltering breath caught in his throat as his gaze found a familiar red-head looking up at him fearfully. "Ahiru," he breathed weakly. "Leave him alone, Femio," Ahiru shouted desperately as she peered up through the pouring rain.

Seeing her made him feel more alive than he had since the night he'd let her go. He became hyper-aware of his surroundings as adrenaline started to surge through his veins; the rain falling on the roof, the wind blowing through his sodden mane, the crack and boom of the thunder and lightning raging overhead, and the man still standing over him shifting his weight as he prepared to run him through. Tier's eyes narrowed sharply as he swung his hand up to knock aside the descending blade and rolled to his feet as his attacker staggered backwards uncertainly.

Tier wasn't sure where this sudden surge of energy was coming from, or how long it would last, but he was willing to do whatever it took to stay alive long enough to speak with Ahiru one last time. " _You'll_ be my end," he hissed menacingly as he flexed his taloned hands, "We'll see about that!" Femio swallowed hard, but did not back down. The creature had been practically on the brink of death only moments before! There was no way it could be as dangerous as it looked…right?

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Ahiru's breath caught in her throat as she saw Tier get to his feet. While she was happy he seemed unharmed, she knew how bad his temper could be; how violent he could become. She didn't want _anyone_ to get hurt! "We have to hurry," she breathed before jumping down from Fafnir's back and running up to the castle gates. "Miss Ahiru," Autor gasped in surprise as she ran passed him, "You're back?!" "Can't talk," she blurted, "Have to stop Tier and Femio!" The enchanted clock blinked in confusion before he was snapped out of it by a polite cough. He turned to look back towards the doors and blinked again at the sight of Charon and two other's he didn't recognize.

"A-ah," he stammered uncertainly, "Um… You're…Miss Ahiru's father, correct?" "Indeed," the smith smiled drily as he gazed around the hall, "Charon Schmidt of Grünefelder. We were never introduced last time I was here." "And…ah…your companions," the timepiece blinked as he tried to readjust to the sudden shock of Ahiru's return. "Fraulein Pike Falkenrath and Herr Medwin Katzenhaft," the sandy-haired man replied absently, "Also of Grünefelder. It seems you had quite a battle here." "Ah…yes," Autor blinked again. He was still a bit confused.

Pike wasn't paying attention to the introductions taking place as she had caught sight of one of the primary objects of her ire: Lilie. She stormed over to the blonde sadist, drew the slim, black bladed sword hanging at her waist, and promptly whacked the other young woman hard over the head with the pommel. The sickle wielding woman immediately crumpled over and started whimpering as the remaining villagers froze in surprise. "Ah," one of them swallowed hard at the furious look on the magenta-haired young woman's face, "Fraulein Falkenrath…. Um…" "Drop your weapons," she snarled angrily, "And sit over by the door until I'm done here. I will be having words with _all_ of you later, but right now I have to deal with _her_."

The villagers promptly obeyed as Pike loomed over the blonde woman; she was practically radiating indignation and fury. Autor frowned uncertainly as he watched her actions before something about the smith's introduction and he stiffened. "Ah…You said she was a Falkenrath, correct," the clock inquired uncertainly as she roughly pulled Lilie to her feet, "She wouldn't happen to be related to an Auric Falkenrath, would she?" "I'm not sure," Charon shrugged, "You'd have to ask her." "I see," the timepiece muttered before cringing as the young woman launched into a furious tirade.

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Femio eyed the dragon-like man warily as a thoughtful look suddenly crossed the other's face. "Ahiru mentioned a Femio once," Tier mused aloud, "Early on she brought up that the one upside of living in my castle as opposed to back home was that she didn't have to deal with… How did she put it? Ah, yes. 'That creepy stalker guy' anymore. I'm assuming she meant you." "Creepy stalker," the flamboyant young man sputtered, "How dare you?! She loves me! She does!" The scaled man scoffed quietly as a cold smirk spread across his face, "Her words and behavior indicated otherwise."

The sword in the delusional young man's hand twitched as he snarled, "Oh, and I suppose you believes she loves _you?!_ Preposterous! She could never love something as hideous as _you_ when she could have _me_ instead!" "Oh, I'm well aware she doesn't love me. I'm not that lucky," Tier agreed before challenging, "Nevertheless…what makes you think she'd ever feel anything for a pompous, narcissistic wretch like you when she can do so much better than _either_ of us." "Shut up," Femio snarled, "Once you're dead she'll _have_ to love me!" A dangerous glint entered the dragon-like man's eyes at that as he murmured, "So you intend to force her into a relationship whether she wants you or not…"

"Yes," the flamboyant young man exclaimed as he lunged forward. Tier tensed and smoothly flipped over the charging young man's head before spinning to face him once more with a vicious glare. "You will _not_ ," he hissed menacingly. The only way this _idiot_ would get near Ahiru again was over his dead body! Femio staggered slightly in surprise at his enemy's agility, but didn't give up. He whirled around and lashed out with his blade only to have the scaled man twist to the side nimbly to avoid the blow. Again and again he lashed out, yet every time the dragon-like man evaded him with what appeared to be thoughtless ease.

Femio failed to notice the intense focus on his adversary's face as he continued attacking; the other man was studying his form intently. He knew he couldn't count on the sudden surge of energy driving him to hold out much longer, and was praying that an opening would appear so he could finish this fight in a single blow. Fortunately, dodging the flamboyant young man's increasingly frustrated attack wasn't all that draining, so he could afford to be patient. The storm's fury seemed to increase as their battle flowed across the narrow walkway and the air shuddered with the crack and boom of thunder. "Damn it," Femio finally shrieked angrily as he swung wildly, "Why won't you just _die?!_ "

This was the opening the dragon-like man had been waiting for. Instead of darting out of the way once more, the taller man lashed out with his talons and knocked the slender rapier out of Femio's grasp. The flamboyant young man froze in shock as the blade spiraled up into the air and over the castle walls behind him before swallowing hard as Tier glared down at him furiously. "You first," the scaled man uttered with a lethal hiss; for once he'd been able to use his temper to his advantage by channeling it's fury into extra energy to buy him a little extra strength and speed. The sodden, brown-violet haired young man trembled in fear as a large, black-taloned hand wrapped around his throat and lifted him into the air.

Of course, the downside to the cursed prince using his temper as fuel was that the fight had made it rage even more viciously than normal. The only thing on his mind was ensuring that this idiot never lived to raise a hand against Ahiru, his servants, or anyone else ever again. He took two strides forwards until Femio was dangling over the drop to the distant, rocky floor of the gorge below. The flamboyant young man's mind briefly cleared as he gazed into the furious green eyes of the man holding him and realized he was going to _die_. He started to panic and struggled desperately, "Oh my God, please don't kill me! Please! Have mercy! I'll never raise a hand against anyone again! Please! Just don't kill me! I don't want to die! Oh God, I don't want to die!"

As Femio sobbed in terror and he pled for his life, Tier hesitated before his eyes widened as an old memory came into focus. The memory of his pleas for the enchantress who had cursed him all those years ago to show mercy on him and his household…and how it had been denied; it was followed by another memory. This time it was of the old smith pleading to be released and how he'd denied those pleas, and this was followed by the memory of his own fear of the inevitable end bearing down on him. 'Mercy,' the dragon-like man mused ruefully as even more memories danced across his mind, 'So many times I have either denied it or have had it denied to me… No more! I am not a slave to my temper's fury!'

A quiet sigh escaped his lips as he pulled the flamboyant young man back over the low wall bordering the walkway before glaring warningly into his eyes. "If you ever try to force your attentions on Ahiru again," he snarled coldly, "I _won't_ just let it go." Femio nodded fearfully and yelped as he was dropped unceremoniously to the wet stone of the walkway. He panted shakily as he held a hand to his throat in disbelief that he was still alive before gazing back up at Tier in wide-eyed confusion. "Leave this place," the dragon-like man gazed back with a regal air as he delivered the order, "And never return." He then turned away and looked back up towards the balcony where a familiar red-head had just emerged.

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Ahiru had raced through the castle as fast as she could on her way up to Tier's chambers. 'Please let me make it in time to stop either of them from being hurt,' she prayed desperately, 'Please! I don't want anyone to fight!' After what felt like an eternity, she made it to his bedroom doors and threw them open before racing out onto the balcony. She ran to the railing and cried out as she looked down at the walkway below, "Tier!" To her relief, both men were still alive and Femio appeared more shaken than anything. She smiled broadly as her dragon-like friend gazed back with his familiar, gentle smile as he called out, "Ahiru! Wait there!"

He was just as relieved to see her as she was to see him. He'd missed her so… Carefully, the dragon-like man started to scale the roof back up to the balcony. His taloned hands and feet reduced the slick, wet ceramic tiles from being a major obstacle to a minor inconvenience as they dug deep into the gaps between them. Yet his energy was starting to fail as he climbed, and – by the time Ahiru reached out to help him climb up to the balustrade – he was feeling somewhat breathless and shaky. Tier barely noticed the return of the draining exhaustion that had tormented him for the past few weeks, though. He was more focused on the fact that the girl he loved had come back to him.

"Ahiru," he breathed with an awed smile, "I can hardly believe my eyes!" The red-haired maiden smiled back gently before hugging her dragon-like friend tightly, "I missed you, Tier!" "I missed you too," he whispered as he returned her hug with one arm before frowning in confusion, "I just…don't understand…" Ahiru pulled back and gave him a puzzled look as he trailed off uncertainly, "Don't understand what?" Tier hesitated; more than anything he wanted to tell her the truth about how he felt about her.

Yet – as his gaze settled on the faint light emanating from the dying rose in his room – he knew it would break her heart to hear those words from him when he had so little time remaining. He _knew_ she didn't love him back. How could he possibly burden her with his feelings? Only, at the same time, he didn't want to die without at least giving her some clue as to just how strongly he cared for her. Once more he was torn, but her inquisitive, innocent blue eyes demanded that he give her an answer. "You came _back_ ," he finally murmured quietly as he reached up to run his taloned fingers through her hair. Ahiru was still confused and had just opened her mouth to reply when Tier suddenly cried out in pain.

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Neither Tier nor Ahiru had paid Femio the slightest bit of attention once they laid eyes upon each other. They were unaware of his intent gaze watching them interact before it became clouded by jealous fury. How dare his beloved look at another man – he could deny the creature's humanity no longer after it spared him – with such clear affection when she could have _him_? How dare this man _forbid_ him from claiming her when she was the only maiden worthy of his love?! So what if she didn't love him back?! She was still _his_!

The last shreds of sanity and rational thought fled from him as his jealousy took over. His crossbow was still lying on the floor of the dragon-like man's chambers, and his treasured rapier was lost to the depths of the gorge. However, he still had one weapon remaining; a long, slender dagger hidden in his right boot. He would end his rival's life once and for all, and then claim his prize once he fell! Femio reached down and drew the dagger before standing. He then calmly approached the steeply sloped roof and started to climb. His ascent was not as easy as Tier's had been, but the storm masked the sound of his quiet gasps and yelps every time he slipped.

Finally, he was close enough to the balcony to pull himself partly up next to his rival and readied his dagger to strike. Tier was still unaware of the danger he was in and was focused completely on the red-head before him as she was on him. Femio knew he'd only have one shot at this, so he had to make it count. He took a deep, quiet breath, reached up, grabbed the edge of the other man's tunic, and lunged upwards to plunge his dagger deep into his back before he could react.

The dragon-like man gave an agonized scream as his body went rigid before trailing off into a low moan as he started to fall backwards limply. The mortally wounded man's wing abruptly snapped out and started flapping weakly. Tier was instinctively trying to regain his balance, but only had one good wing to work with making the effort useless. However, the instinctive reaction did one thing; it caught his attacker firmly in the chest and knocked him back into the air. The flamboyant young man could only gape in surprise as he fell and a despairing scream tore out of his throat as he fell passed the curtain wall…and down into the gorge to smash against the rocks below.

 **A/N:** And I am ending the chapter here! As I expected, this chapter ended up being over 20 pages long which is why I didn't try to make the whole climax fit in a single chapter. I know how I write. Couple of extra things to clarify before going on to the next chapter; first, my reasoning for drawing the climax out for so long needs to be explained since it's only a few minutes long in the film. I suppose I should say films now, though. Regardless, my reasons are pretty simple as they all boil down to my desire to provide an immersive reading experience. Which means adding details such as how far apart locations are, how long it takes to travel between them, alternate viewpoints on the course of events, and so on. End result is that, what on screen is only a few minutes long and with a mood that is mostly related by a series of marvelously catchy songs, things take longer to fully cover in this format since I only have words to work with. This makes everything progress at a much slower pace and results in a slower build up. Second, why I put so much emphasis on how reluctant the townsfolk were to even be there; unlike in the Disney version…these guys aren't really all that invested in killing the Beast. It was so far away it didn't feel like a real threat even though they _knew_ he existed. He'd ignored them for ten years. They were willing to take the chance that he'd continue to ignore them…and they'd have been right. The only reason they even came out was that Femio appealed to their greed…but greed isn't always an effective motivator when you're cold, tired, wet, and miserable. Add in a large dragon-like being at the end of the road and a castle full of living furniture and the like that suddenly attacked them… Greed? Meet the survival instinct. It has a few words for you to be punctuated by its handy mallet. Finally, why I had Tier and Femio talk before they actually fought; basically, neither of them were all that eager to fight at first. Femio because he was kind of a coward when you get right down to it, and Tier simply wasn't sure how long he'd last and was hoping to intimidate Femio into backing down. It was only once he learned that Femio was willing to treat Ahiru as a thing if it meant he got what he wanted that he got angry enough to stop caring about the risks. Assume the storm around the castle behaved like the one in the 90s Disney film with all the rain, thunder, and lightning during the fight and afterwards. I couldn't describe all of it without disrupting the narrative. Also, assume Raetsel scolded Uzura for running away, Uzura defended herself by insisting she wanted to help and that she actually _did_ end up helping a lot, and Herr Katzenhaft backing up her claims by giving a brief overview of her contribution off screen. Again, this is something I couldn't include without disrupting the flow of the narrative. I tried. It made the pacing of the climax trip up and nearly grind to a halt. It had to be cut, but it all happened anyways. Next chapter everything comes to a close at long last! Took long enough! Man, I am so ready to be done with this and start working on something new. Well, I'll see you all at the last chapter! Till then!


	15. Dawn

**A/N:** Ahem… *belts out at top of lungs* FREUDE, SCHÖNER GÖTTERFUNKEN TOCHTER AUS ELYSIUM,  
WIR BETRETEN FEUERTRUNKEN, HIMMLISCHE, DEIN HEILIGTUM! *shrugs* Seemed appropriate to sing a little of the final movement of Beethoven's 9th since I'm almost done with this and I'm so freaking happy about it. Considering it is also known as the Ode to Joy…yeah… So here we are at long last. The death scene, the confession, the transformation, the resolution of the plot, and the happy ending! I've been wanting to write this bit since I started this story back in October. It is now nearly the end of May. I have been waiting a _long_ time for this… I'm not waiting any longer! I can see the finish! Here we go! Ah…quick recommendation, before I really get going, though. I…may have been listening to the Chrono Cross Soundtrack while I was writing this and 'Life – Distant Promise' started just as I hit the bit with the transformation. It…kind of influenced me a bit. Well, part of it did at least. That's why I am recommending you look it up and listen to the first 50 or seconds when you reach that part of the chapter because that sequence of notes is what is playing when the curse breaks. Not the whole song though, because the transformation sequence is not 6 minutes long. Just…repeat the rapid note sequence in your head for that segment to get the full effect of what I am _trying_ to describe. T_T This song hijacks my brain and has since I finished that bloody game for the first time back in 2001…. Holy cow, it's been sixteen years since the first time I actually finished a video game that wasn't made by Nintendo… Well, not quite… It was June then. So it's almost sixteen years as of my writing this… Still…wow… Right! Story!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not, have not, and will never own any of the things I am using for this fic. This includes Princess Tutu and Beauty and the Beast (either version) which belong to their respective owners.

Chapter 14: Dawn

"Tier," Ahiru cried out as she grabbed onto her friend's wrists as he fell backwards limply, "No!" She winced slightly at the sound of Femio's scream as he fell, but couldn't focus on grieving his needless death. She had to save Tier! The red head braced her foot against the stone railing of the balustrade and threw all her weight backwards. Amazingly, this worked to pull him back up and she fell backwards onto the wet stone as the dragon-like man's limp body landed on top of her. He groaned weakly at the impact and, mustering what remained of his strength, tried to roll off of her.

The blue-eyed maiden did her best to help and, between the both of them, managed to shift the injured man so that he was lying on his back. His eyes were shut tight as he struggled to breathe and winced as a series of weak, wet-sounding coughs tore out of his throat. Between the slow drain on his strength over the past few weeks, being shot in the back, and now the stab wound that had torn a gaping hole in his left lung Tier's body simply couldn't endure any longer. Tragically, he was getting his wish for a quick death instead of one that was slow and drawn out, but at a time when he did not want it. "Tier," Ahiru pleaded as she cradled his head and shoulders in her arms, "Tier, look at me!"

The dying man opened his eyes partially and met her gaze. He didn't want to die without at least knowing why she'd returned, and struggled to muster enough strength to ask her. "You...," he gasped weakly, "Came back. Why…? I thought…" Ahiru smiled comfortingly at her injured friend as she replied, "Of course I did! After Femio went crazy, and bribed everyone into coming after you… I knew I had to at least _try_ to talk him out if it before anyone got hurt… Only…I guess I failed at that…" "I…see…," the dragon-like man murmured sadly.

Part of him had been hoping for more even though he knew better than to expect her to have suddenly fallen for him while she was away. Such a thing was impossible. Another series of wet coughs tore through him and it started to occur to the red head that he might actually be dying and not just badly injured. She bit her lip anxiously as his eyelids started to flutter shut and his breaths came in ever shallowing gasps once the coughing fit ended. "Tier," she pleaded desperately, "Tier, hang on!" The dying man huffed weakly as he forced his eyes back open, "Tired…of hearing…you call…me that…" Ahiru blinked in confusion at this random complaint, "What?" He sighed, coughed again, and did his best to explain between his faltering gasps for air, "Tier… It's not…my real…name…"

"So," she asked hesitantly, "Then what is your name?" The dying man's eyelids fluttered again as he replied faintly, "It's…Fakir…" "Fakir," the red-head repeated thoughtfully. It was a nice sounding name, and part of her was puzzled why he had gone with the name 'Tier' for as long as she'd known him. Fakir nodded weakly and whispered, "Yes…" His eyes had slid mostly shut once more and the time between his shallow gasps for air had gradually lengthened until he was barely breathing at all. Ahiru had noticed this, but was still holding onto the hope that some sort of miracle would prevent his death. "Please don't die, Fakir," she begged desperately, "Please!"

A weak, sad smile spread across Fakir's face. There was nothing he could do to grant her request no matter how much he wished to. The last thing he wanted was to break her heart by dying in her arms, and he desperately regretted that he couldn't spare her that. The pain of his injuries and his failing body were already fading away. Yet he still tried to at least tell her goodbye with what little strength he had left. "I'm glad," he breathed as his eyelids fluttered shut for the last time, "I got…the chance…to see…you…again…bef…ore…I…" His voice trailed off into a faint sigh as his body slackened and stilled in her arms.

Ahiru froze before shakily inquiring, "Fakir?" He didn't respond, and she shifted her grip to his shoulder before shaking him gently, "Fakir, wake up!" All that her actions resulted in was his head flopping about limply with the movement before falling back when she stopped. Slowly, the truth started to dawn on her as she shook her head in denial and she screamed, "FAKIR! NO, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME!" Tragically, her cries were in vain. Fakir, the Crown Prince of Goldkrone Castle, was dead.

Ahiru started to cry over her fallen friend's body as she was forced to accept that he really was gone. It hurt more than anything she'd ever experienced. 'No,' she denied silently, 'No, he can't be dead! He just can't! He's my best friend!' Yet as the thought flashed across her mind it suddenly occurred to her that he meant more to her than that. The thought that she might actually _lose_ him had shaken her terribly, but it wasn't until she realized that there was still hope for him to survive that her feelings for him started to grow. Over the course of the ride back to the castle, they had continued to evolve rapidly until – just as she'd finally been reunited with him – they finally settled into feelings of love. She simply hadn't recognized the change until now.

Against all odds, she had fallen in love with the cursed prince before the final petal fell from the enchanted rose. Yet what did that matter? He was already dead, and she felt her heart shatter as she wept bitterly. "No," she sobbed brokenly, "Please no… You can't be dead… You can't…" She never noticed the storm's fury had given way to a gentle, somber rain that fell gently on them both. "I _love_ you, Fakir…," she whispered tearfully as she buried her face against Fakir's motionless chest, "Please… Wake up…"

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Mytho, too, was weeping silently as he watched from the balcony doors. Ahiru had passed him shortly before reaching the doors to the prince's chambers, but had not noticed him. He'd arrived on the scene in time to witness everything from their reunion to his best friend's last breath and the red-head's tearful confession. Now he grieved not only for his beloved friend, prince, and brother's death, but also for the heartbreak being suffered by the girl his friend had loved.

"It can't end like this," he whispered angrily as he turned to glare up at the wilting rose, "Neither of them deserves such a cruel fate! Why?! Why would you let him die when his time wasn't even up?! They love each other! You've heard his confession and now hers as well! Doesn't that mean your conditions are satisfied?! How could you let this happen?!" He didn't expect the rose to answer him. For all that it was enchanted, it was not – and never had been – able to speak. However, he was hoping – praying in fact – that the rose would show some sign that the curse binding them would break. Yet it did not. To his horror, the light of the last remaining petal dimmed before it separated from the stem and floated down to join the rest of the petals on the table before the glow fully died.

A choked sob escaped the enchanted maitre'd as he bowed his head in despair. It seemed as though all hope was lost…then the rose stem and the pile of petals dissolved into a swirling multicolored cloud of sparks with a faint chime that drew Mytho's attention. A second chime at a slightly higher pitch sounded as the sparks phased through the glass, and then a third chime at a slightly lower pitch sounded as they slowly started to drift towards the balcony. A fourth, higher pitched chime sounded as they neared the doors, then a fifth and sixth at two different lower pitches sounded as they swirled around the still sobbing Ahiru, and finally a seventh sounded as they shot skywards before disappearing into the clouds.

Seconds later a sequence of seven glowing, bolts of magic fell to the balcony accompanied by a louder repetition of that same sequence of chimes. The grieving red-head looked up as she noticed the first few bolts fall and looked around in confusion. Yet, after the last chime sounded a new, more vigorous sequence of chiming notes resounded through the air as more and more radiant packets of magical power streaked down from the sky. Ahiru squeaked anxiously as they impacted the balcony around her, yet none of them touched her. This wasn't that comforting though as they came uncomfortably close to where she sat cradling Fakir's body tightly to her chest.

Her anxiety grew as a swirling fog rose from the wet stone and started to twine about Fakir's limbs; she tried to pull him away. Yet the rising magical power had a purpose to fulfil and would not be denied. The magical fog proved to be surprisingly solid as it gently, yet firmly pushed at her arms until she was forced to release her friend's body. To her surprise, the fog supported him and continued to swirl upwards until his body was floating and spinning limply in the air over where she still knelt. The chiming notes continued to sound as the fog started to glow with the same light the rose had once had before the faint radiance sank into the dead man's body.

Moments later, he started to glow from within as his body began to shift and change before her eyes. His wings melted into his back as the fabric of his shirt spread to cover the now bare scaled skin; followed by his tail slowly shrinking up towards the base of his spine until it disappeared and the fabric of his pants smoothly covered the gap as it opened until that space was fully covered as well. His taloned feet slowly shrank and changed shape until they looked completely human, and then his hands and ears repeated the change. His horns shrank until they disappeared into his hair, and then the scales started to merge together and gradually lighten in color.

A sudden flash of light forced Ahiru to close her eyes, yet when she opened them again it was to find Fakir's body had fully changed from its familiar dragon-like form to one that was fully human. The fog was still supporting him as it gently lowered his body to the balcony as the chiming notes started to slow. As the final crystalline tone faded away, so too did the remnants of the fog leaving the now human prince lying limply on his side. The red-head hesitantly started to approach before suddenly freezing as he groaned weakly, and then rushed over to his side.

She fell to her knees in disbelief as she realized he was breathing again, and pulled his upper body back into her arms as she studied his features intently. He didn't look all that different aside from that his hair wasn't as thick, he had thick, dark eyebrows where the scaled ridges had once been, and he had lightly tanned skin in place of scales. Then his eyelids fluttered and flicked back open revealing his familiar – if slightly dazed and unfocused – malachite green eyes with normal pupils in place of the reptilian ones she had grown used to. He blinked a few times before focusing on her face and frowning faintly as he noticed the tears still streaming down from her eyes. "Thought I told you," he grumbled tiredly, "I didn't want you crying over me…"

He had no way of knowing her tears were now more relieved than anything, and she smiled back sheepishly prompting the prince to roll his eyes in annoyance. He reached a hand up to brush them away as he opened his mouth to remind her how much he _hated_ it when she was sad before freezing as he noticed the change that had taken place, "What?!" Fakir gaped in amazement as he brought his now _human_ hand to his face and turned it forward and back several times. "The curse…it's broken," he murmured disbelievingly before stammering as he turned his stunned gaze on the young woman still holding him, "Ahiru…you…?" The red head blinked in confusion and tilted her head to the side, "What?" The dark-haired man grunted as he sat up and shifted position so he could look her in the face. "Ahiru, the curse I was under…it can only be broken if I learn to love someone," he explained hesitantly before a blush spread across his face as he finished, "And if _they_ fall in love _with me_ …" Ahiru started to blush as well upon hearing that, "Um…" She really had no idea how to respond to that revelation.

Fakir sighed at her reaction and shook his head. "If you really need me to say it," he muttered awkwardly before sighing again and looking away as the blush across his cheeks darkened considerably, "I'm in love with you, Ahiru." Ahiru stared at him in surprise as he continued quietly, "I have been for a while… I just…didn't…feel like I deserved to love someone like you… You're…easily the kindest, most forgiving, and most free-spirited person I've ever had the fortune to meet and I…I…" The dark haired prince trailed off and closed his eyes before swallowing hard, and continued, "I'm not going to ask for anything more from you than you are willing to offer. If it means we're just friends, then I'll accept that. If…it means we become something more… No matter what I will be content with whatever you choose so long as you are a part of my life."

Ahiru blinked a few times as he finished speaking and shook her head in amazement. She'd been expecting a proposal or something, and his offer to let her choose what she wanted their relationship to be caught her off guard. Still, she knew what she wanted without having to think about it much. Considering their shared passion for ballet and Fakir's clear desire for her to be happy… She didn't mind changing her dreams a bit. No, there was no reason why pursuing a relationship with the prince couldn't work out. They loved each other, and that was enough for her. She smiled and hesitantly tried to catch his attention, "Fakir…?" The dark haired young man sighed, but didn't look at her as he replied flatly, "What, moron?"

She rolled her eyes and huffed in irritation as she realized the prickles were back. Clearly, he was expecting a rejection and had gone fully into defensive mode. Ahiru refused to let him get away with that and reached out, grabbed his face, and forced him to look at her as she scowled at him, "You are such a jerk…" Fakir glared back at her stubbornly before his eyes widened in surprise as she leaned forward and kissed him as she concluded inside her head, 'And yet I love you all the same.' It took the prince a few moments to work out that this was her way of answering him, and once he did he immediately felt a thrill of elation as he responded to her kiss. This was more than he'd ever dared to hope for and, as his eyes drifted shut and brought a hand up to caress her cheek, he swore he'd never give her cause to regret her choice.

As the new couple deepened their kiss, a wave of magic flowed over the castle as the last remnants of the curse gave way. Mytho muffled a yelp as he banged his head against the edge of the table upon changing from an ornate, three-pronged candlestick to a full grown human male. He rubbed the forming lump under his feathery, snowy white hair, then smoothly stood and brushed off his pants before adjusting his jacket. It was nice to have hands and legs again. He then headed over to the balcony doors to check on his friends.

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All across the castle, similar transformations were taking place as everyone from the castle guards to the scullery maids were restored to their original forms. The castle itself also changed as the curse continued unraveling. The decayed tapestries were restored to their former richness of color and pristine state of preservation, the grim statuary reverted to the assorted statues and busts of Fakir's more illustrious royal ancestors they had originally been, the damaged pillars were instantly renewed, and all the signs of decay and neglect about the castle were undone. As the last of the curse's power faded, the remnants of magic surged back upwards into the storm clouds above and dispersed them to reveal the light of the rising sun peaking over the horizon. Both the storm and the curse were dispelled. Yet Fakir and Ahiru noticed none of this.

They probably would have continued kissing each other if Mytho hadn't cleared his throat from his relaxed position against the door to the balcony. The prince and Ahiru stiffened in surprise at the sudden interruption as they each pulled back, and Fakir scowled in annoyance towards the party responsible. An amused smirk crossed the maitre'd's face at that reaction which – naturally – caused the dark-haired man's scowl to deepen as he grumbled, "Don't start, Mytho." Mytho's amusement grew as he replied, "Start what?" The red-haired young woman blinked in confusion as the man she'd fallen for stood up and stated flatly, "Don't give me that. You have that irritatingly smug look all over your face."

Mytho only blinked and smiled innocently as he watched his best friend help the blue-eyed maiden to her feet, "I'm just pleased that everything ended well." The green-eyed prince scoffed quietly before walking over to where his best friend stood – with Ahiru trailing behind curiously – and stopped in front of him as he studied his friend skeptically. He then snorted and sarcastically stated, "Right. That's all it is." The golden-eyed maitre'd contrived to look even more innocent as he responded, "Hm? What else could it be? Surely you aren't expecting me to tell you 'I told you so' or something? That's Autor's job." The red-haired young woman giggled at that prompting Fakir to groan in irritation as he brought a hand up to his forehead, "Shut up…"

A clattering crash from the hallway drew the trio's attention effectively ending Mytho's friendly teasing for the moment. It was followed by what sounded like furious swearing, though the actual words couldn't be made out. It was the tone of voice more than anything. "Sounds like Autor ran into something," the maitre'd mused as his smirk returned, "He must be in a hurry." "Oh," Fakir grumbled sarcastically, "Great. _More_ lectures." "Lectures," Ahiru inquired curiously. "You don't want to know," the prince sighed as the sound of someone stomping towards the doors echoed down the halls.

Not long afterwards a seething, blue-haired, glasses wearing young man in courtly dress stalked through the door. "Autor," the green-eyed man greeted drily. Autor's eyes abruptly focused on the now human prince and the young woman next to him before he glared furiously at his liege. "…Never…again…," the young chamberlain hissed. Somewhat taken aback by the uncharacteristic rage boiling off the blue-haired young man, Fakir stared at back at him with a hint of confusion gracing his features, "Huh?" "You…are _never_ …letting that girl," the glasses wearing chamberlain snarled as he pointed sharply at Ahiru, "Out of your sight…again. Got it?!"

Frankly, the prince didn't intend to, but he didn't appreciate being ordered around by the younger man. "Dare I ask why," he asked tensely. Autor promptly snapped, "I WAS ALMOST TRAPPED AS A CLOCK FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!" Fakir scowled back in annoyance as he pointed out, "And I actually died. I think that gives me the right to make whatever choices I want in regards to my fiancé." Mytho, Ahiru, and the young chamberlain all gaped at the dark-haired man over that sudden pronouncement in silence for a few moments. Then the maitre'd slapped a hand over his mouth as he struggled to muffle his snickers, and the red-haired young woman simply blinked in sheer confusion.

Last she checked he hadn't even proposed. Since when was she his fiancé? She didn't get it. The blue-haired young man was even worse off though as he blinked a few times, shook his head, and cleared out an ear with his pinkie finger. He wasn't sure if he'd heard correctly and he inquired uncertainly, "Wait…what?" Fakir huffed and grabbed Ahiru's wrist to pull her after him as he headed for the door, "Not repeating myself." Mytho promptly doubled over laughing at the look of sheer confusion on the chamberlain's face. This was already the best day of his life and it had only just started!

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The prince released Ahiru's wrist once they left his chambers, but didn't stop walking down the hall prompting the young woman to hurry after him. "Um, Fakir," she asked curiously, "Since when were we engaged? You never asked me to marry you…" Fakir flinched and looked back at her apologetically, "Sorry, I just said that to shut Autor up… I mean, I'd love it if we were to be engaged, but I need to ask your father for permission first." "Oh, I see," the red-head nodded before a faint blush spread across her cheeks, "You _really_ want to propose to me already?" The dark-haired man stopped and turned to look back at her in surprise, "Of course I do. I told you I am in love with you, remember? I meant it."

"It just seems kind of sudden is all," the blue-eyed maiden admitted , "We've only known each other for a few months." "I'm aware of that," the prince replied drily before he sighed and shook his head, "Look, Ahiru, I know it seems sudden, but I don't think you really get just what I mean when I say 'I love you'." Ahiru was puzzled by that remark, "What else could it mean other than exactly that?" Fakir blushed faintly as he ran his fingers through his hair before he started to explain awkwardly, "There are many types of love. I loved my parents, I love my servants like family, and I love you so much I have a hard time finding the right words to convey just how strongly I feel."

The blue-eyed young maiden tilted her head to the side curiously, but remained silent as he continued to explain with a slowly spreading flush of embarrassment, "I guess I should try though. To start with when I say I love you I am referring to every aspect of your being. I think you are the most beautiful girl I have ever met, and I've been introduced to a fair number of young noblewomen who were pretty enough on the outside. The thing is, that's about as deep as it went with most of them. You're beautiful all the way down to the core of who you are. Then there's the effect just being around you has on me. You inspire me to try to be a better person than I am, and without you in my life… I don't live."

Ahiru gaped at him at that admission which prompted a self-deprecating smirk to cross Fakir's face, "As pathetic as it sounds, I have come to rely on your presence in my life. You are more important to me than anything else, and there is nothing I would not do… Nothing I would not give to make you happy." She could only stare at the prince as he finished his startlingly honest explanation, "That's what I mean when I say 'I love you'. It means I am completely and utterly devoted to you and everything that you are or will ever be. It means that I am yours forever; heart, body, mind, and soul."

The red-haired maiden swallowed hard once the now furiously blushing prince fell silent before stammering uncertainly, "S-so…the reason you are already wanting to m-marry me…" "Is because I already love you with all of my heart, and I'd swear my feelings are only growing stronger with every passing day," Fakir stated bluntly as the blush started to fade, "I can wait, though. I'm even willing to court you for as long as it takes for you to feel comfortable with the idea. Though, I'd like it if we could keep up the façade around Autor." Ahiru gave him a puzzled look as she mused, "I guess it's okay if we're just pretending… But why do you want to?"

"Because if he thinks we're engaged he'll willingly ward off all the overly ambitious members of my court who want me to marry their daughters, sisters, or female cousins once they learn I'm not dead," the prince replied flatly, "I love _you_ and _only_ you. Having to deal with a bunch of unwanted proposals is just going to tick me off. I'd prefer to avoid that if at all possible." "I am more than willing to play along if it means saving people from your horrible temper," the young woman agreed solemnly though the slight grin tugging at the corners of her mouth ruined the effect.

Fakir grinned lightly in response to her attempt at humor as he replied with equal gravity, "Your noble sacrifice is greatly appreciated. The masses may never learn of it, but know that it is indeed worthwhile." They looked at each other for a few moments before they both started to laugh. "That's another thing I love about you," the green-eyed man admitted between chuckles, "You make me laugh." Ahiru smiled back as she giggled, "Well, I like seeing you happy. It's all I ever wanted once I got to know you." "I feel the same," the prince smiled gently.

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Once the couple calmed down from their brief moment of levity, they resumed the trek down towards the main hall where Ahiru had last seen her companions. The red-head took the time to catch the prince up on her side of everything that had happened up until their reunion. Fakir was a bit surprised to learn the two strangers he'd seen in the illusions called up by the enchanted book had come along with her and her father. "Why would they care whether I lived or died, though," he asked her, "It's not as though they know me."

"They were the ones to work out the whole thing about you being the prince," the red-head explained, "And Pike, in particular, was livid that Femio was not only willing to commit treason, but had bribed people to help him out. Apparently, she and her family have always been furiously loyal to yours. As for Herr Katzenhaft, I think he was old enough to remember how things used to be before you were cursed and was hoping returning you to normal would help fix the whole neglect problem." Fakir tensed at that and frowned, "You mean with the nobles around Grünefelder."

"Well yeah," Ahiru shrugged, "Grünefelder and all the other small towns, villages, and farms." "I feared that was what you meant," Fakir muttered absently before an irritated scowl crossed his face, "And to think those same nobles would go on and on behind my back about how I wasn't a 'proper' prince… They won't be getting away with it. I promise you that." "Well, it's not as though we've suffered for their neglect," the red-head shrugged, "I mean, it's kind of irritating to have to give them money every year when they won't help us out, but things are pretty stable." "That doesn't excuse their behavior," the prince insisted.

They would have continued their conversation further had they not encountered a familiar-looking brunette walking down the hall towards them. The older woman smiled as she noticed them and curtsied politely, "My lord." "Raetsel," Fakir nodded back before inquiring with a concerned look, "Are Hans and the rest of your staff back to normal as well?" "They are," Raetsel replied, "As is everyone else in the castle. Nothing remains to show that we were ever under a curse." "Good," the prince sighed in relief before inquiring, "And Uzura? Has she been found?"

The head of the kitchen staff glanced over at a suddenly uncomfortable looking Ahiru as she hesitated to respond, "Um…" Fortunately, she was saved from having to explain by the little girl rocketing down the hall at full speed from behind her, and tackling the dark-haired man's legs with a gleeful cry, "PRINCEY-ZURA!" "That's a yes," he sighed as he looked down at the green-haired child, "Hello, Uzura." The blue-eyed little girl peered up at him with a bright smile and then promptly caught both young adults off guard as she asked bluntly, "Are you and Ahiru love-love now-zura?"

Fakir blushed as he glanced over at the now giggling red-head standing next to him and muttered awkwardly, "Um…yes…" "YAY," the little girl cheered before she started happily chanting, "Love-love, love-love, love-love…" The prince was growing increasingly embarrassed as she continued her chant, and would have preferred to just walk away. Unfortunately, with her clinging to his legs the way she was he was pretty much trapped. "Please let go of my legs," he requested tensely. All the little girl did in response to his request was to release one leg and cling tightly to the other while not once letting up on her chant.

Raetsel sighed, and shook her head as the dark-haired man shot her a pleading look before bending down to pry her niece off of him. "Now, Uzura," she scolded lightly, "The prince asked you to let him go. Don't be rude, now." "Don't want to-zura," Uzura huffed petulantly before resuming her chant. "Please, Uzura," Ahiru asked politely, "We really need to talk to my father, and he can't make it down the stairs with you clinging to his leg." The green-haired child stopped chanting, looked back at her older friend thoughtfully, and then smiled as she finally agreed, "Okay-zura!"

The prince let out a quiet sigh of relief as she finally let go of his leg. It had been starting to go numb from the little girl's surprisingly tight grip. As Raetsel led Uzura away down the hall, he took a moment to lean against the wall and massage it to get the circulation going again. Ahiru was about to ask him if he was okay when a familiar, amused female voice sounded from where the little girl had appeared, "Feeling all right, your highness?" Fakir scowled as he glanced up, "Really not in the mood for this right now, Rue."

The raven-haired maid laughed lightly before replying, "Neither am I, to be honest. I was wondering if you knew where Mytho had gotten off to." "He's up in my chambers by the balcony," he replied with a faint scowl, "Probably still being irritatingly smug. If you could make him stop I'd really appreciate it." Rue blinked a few times before an anticipatory look spread across her face as she purred, "Oh, I will… Pleasure to be of service, my prince…" Ahiru made a small inquisitive noise as the maid practically sauntered down the hallway towards the North Wing. The prince only shook his head and quietly muttered under his breath, "…Sometimes that girl worries me…"

He then straightened up and glanced over at Ahiru, "Shall we continue?" "Ah," she blinked before smiling sheepishly back at the prince, "Right… Sorry. I was just wondering why Rue looked so happy." Fakir sighed as the resumed their trek down to the main hall and started to explain, "I'm sure you're aware of the fact that she and Mytho are in a relationship." "Well, yeah," the red head admitted, "It's pretty hard to miss."

"They're actually engaged to be married," the dark-haired man revealed with a wry grin at the startled quack that escaped the young woman walking by his side, "Mytho proposed a few years after the curse was laid, but they decided to hold off on actually getting married until they were human again. He never gave up hope that the curse would be broken which is partly why he was being so smug earlier. No doubt Rue is looking forward to…ah…celebrating the fact that they finally have the chance to move forward, and I know for a fact that Mytho isn't going to be in any state to be thinking much of anything once she finds him." "I'm not sure I really get it," Ahiru frowned in befuddlement, "But Rue and Mytho are going to be married one day soon, right? And they're both happy not to be cursed anymore?" "Basically yes," Fakir replied. "Then I'm happy for them," she beamed brightly.

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They'd almost reached the grand staircase leading down to the hall when they ran into one final interruption. "Hello, Prince Fakir," a curly haired young woman in a simple, pale yellow dress curtsied before her face lit up at the sight of the red-head standing next to him, "Ahiru! You came back! Thank you so much!" Ahiru thought the young woman looked familiar, but was having a hard time placing her as she replied uncertainly, "Um…you're welcome?" Fakir sighed and shook his head before addressing the chamber maid, "Look, Hermia, I really need to deal with the townsfolk and hopefully work things out with my potential future father-in-law. Can you save the gushing for later?"

Hermia stared at the prince for a few moments as a broad smile spread across her face before she squealed giddily and rushed off. "No doubt she's going to find one of the other female servants to gossip with," he muttered and then turned his attention to the puzzled blue-eyed maiden, "Sorry if she startled you." "It's fine," she assured him before turning to look down the hall towards where the curly-haired brunette had raced away, "…I just wasn't expecting her to be so enthusiastic about that." "I'd have thought you'd be used to it by now," Fakir teased, "Considering she was _your_ chamber maid during your original stay." "Well, I knew she could be a bit spastic sometimes and was really cheerful," Ahiru defended herself, "But we're just going to be talking to people!"

"One of those people being your father," the prince pointed out as they resumed walking, "Who still needs to give me permission to court you, let alone marry you, and I'm pretty sure he hates me." "He doesn't hate you," the red-head insisted. "Ahiru," the dark-haired man pointed out drily, "I locked him in the dungeon, made a deal with you that would make you my prisoner in his place, ripped him away from you without allowing him a chance to say goodbye, and then told him to forget about you before sending him away. He has every reason to not only deny my request, but forbid me from ever seeing you again."

"You just made a bad first impression," Ahiru smiled reassuringly, "I convinced him to give you a second chance before the whole mess with Femio started. It'll be fine! You'll see!" "I hope you're right," Fakir muttered as they reached the top of the side stairs that led down to the main landing, paused, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. It was time to be the Crown Prince again. He held out his arm to the blue-eyed maiden beside him, and she took it with an understanding smile. Then, together, they headed down the stairs to finish straightening out the mess Femio had caused.

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Fortunately, it didn't take much effort to convince the townsfolk he was the missing prince. Once she'd finished berating Lilie, Pike had turned her fury on them and made it absolutely clear to them that their greed had nearly caused them to help murder the rightful heir to the throne. Seeing the regal looking, dark-haired man descending the stairs towards them with Ahiru holding onto his arm only served to drive her point further home. They had screwed up. Badly. Fakir _did_ give a short speech where he basically informed them that he was willing to forgive them for being greedy idiots _this time_ , but only so long as they promised to never give into such temptation again. The townsfolk eagerly accepted his pardon and made their vow to the prince before he ordered his guards to escort them back to the village. However, there was still more to be done.

Lilie had been separated from the other townsfolk, and there was some concern over what was to be done with her. Ahiru's account of what had happened back in town had made it clear that she had been one of the major instigators for the attack, and there was no guarantee it wouldn't happen again if she got bored enough. Fortunately, Pike had come up with a solution. She pointed out that the asylum was likely no longer under Drosselmeyer's control by this point, and there was no reason the sadistic blonde couldn't be sent there for treatment once they found someone new to serve as warden. Until then, she could stay in the castle dungeons. Fakir was all for it. It meant less paperwork for him since the only _other_ alternative would have been for her to be executed.

That ended up leading into a whole new conversation that ultimately lead to Fakir making the connection between Ahiru's friend and a former noble from the reign of one of his more temperamental ancestors: Auric Falkenrath. Pike flinched and looked a bit embarrassed as she replied to his inqiry, "Ah…yes. He was my great-great grandfather. We…don't talk about him much." "I don't see why not," the prince tilted his head evenly, "Based on what I read in my family's journals, he was a good man and one of the few nobles who didn't make a nuisance of himself."

"…He cost our family everything," the ashamed young woman admitted, "Our lands, our titles, and our good name. We've had to work hard to repair our reputations and even now there are still those who look down on us for being disgraced nobility." "It wasn't his fault," Fakir countered evenly drawing a startled look from the two young woman, and he explained, "The king at the time was a pompous, arrogant prick by all accounts who had no sense of humor. All Lord Falkenrath did was tell a joke about his wife's pet dog being overly pampered, and the old man exploded. He immediately stripped your ancestor of everything claiming that his levity was unbecoming of a nobleman. It was a complete over-reaction and I honestly haven't the slightest idea why no one bothered to restore your family to its proper standing after his death."

He then shrugged and smirked in satisfaction, "Easy enough to fix now, though. That's one bit of paperwork I don't mind having to wade through." "You'd do that for us," Pike gaped. "It's going to help me out, too," Fakir stated bluntly, "Considering how unreliable the other noble families have behaved recently, I can honestly say I'd rather have your family in charge of the region around Grünefelder than anyone else." The magenta-haired young woman stared at him for a few moments before lunging forward to hug him tightly with a happy squeal, "THANK YOU!" Ahiru burst out laughing as the prince yelped in surprise which drew Charon's attention.

"Just what is going on with you three," he asked as he approached the three young adults. Pike abruptly released the stunned prince and whirled around to beam happily at the smith, "My family gets to be nobility again!" Charon blinked in confusion, "I see… That's a nice reward, I suppose…" "It's not a reward," Fakir muttered awkwardly, "They never should have lost their titles in the first place. I was just fixing a mistake that had gone uncorrected for far too long. Besides, I'd like to have a noble family in the area I can actually trust. Or just a noble family I can trust in general. I am _not_ looking forwards to dealing with all those idiots again…"

"Are they really that bad," Ahiru asked curiously. "Treating me as a tool to advance their own standing in court," Fakir started ticking off on his fingers, "Calling me a poor excuse for a prince behind my back at every opportunity, condemning my interest in both writing and practicing ballet as being below my station, and generally doing everything in their power to strip away every possible freedom I might have had growing up. There's a reason I consider my life prior to being cursed to have been a gilded cage. Sure, it looked nice from the outside, but it was still a prison. They made my life hell, so yes. They really are _that bad_."

Ahiru looked a bit anxious at hearing all of that and fretted quietly, "So…what would they do to me if we were to start courting and all that?" "Nothing," Fakir assured her firmly, "If they even so much as _think_ about trying anything like they did with me on you, I'll make them regret it!" "What was this about courting," Charon asked uneasily. The couple blushed faintly as the prince coughed uncertainly, "About that…um…I realize I didn't exactly make the best first impression, but…I…I wish to court your daughter." The smith's face went blank at that as he responded neutrally, "And what makes you think I'll allow this?"

"Honestly…," the dark-haired young man replied with a sad smile, "I'm expecting you to deny it and forbid me from ever seeing her again. I wronged the both of you because of I was selfish and afraid that I would never break the curse which bound me. Yet that does not excuse the way I treated you, and for that I humbly apologize." "It seems you've managed to break this curse of yours anyways," Charon observed in the same neutral tone.

"In spite of my best efforts to sabotage it," Fakir replied drily which drew a startled look from everyone other than Ahiru, "Considering that I released your daughter without telling her that I'd fallen in love with her and fully expected to be dead long before she ever returned to learn of my death. The fact that she still managed to break it in time is nothing short of miraculous." "So you love him," Charon asked his daughter passively. "I do," the red head admitted with a shy grin, "Though I don't think I'm ready for marriage or anything yet…" "Please don't make me repeat myself again," Fakir sighed. "I know, I know," Ahiru laughed.

Pike looked at her best friend, and then looked at the prince before flatly stating, "I approve. He's perfect for you." The sandy haired man sighed and smiled at the young woman, "I think I'm the one whose supposed to give my approval, my young Lady Falkenrath." "So give it already," the magenta-haired woman huffed, "Dragging it out like this is just plain vindictive of you." "Fair enough," Charon nodded before smiling kindly at the startled prince, "You have my permission to court Ahiru, and marry her when the time comes." "I…uh…thank you," Fakir stammered bemusedly as Ahiru tackled him with a happy squeal, and a small smile spread across his face, "I am humbled by your generosity…"

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The rest of the day passed in a blur as affairs around the castle started to return to normal. Lilie was transferred to the castle dungeons until the situation at the asylum was resolved. Fakir informed Autor of his desire to restore the Falkenrath's noble title and ended up spending hours arguing with him over drawing up the paperwork for that before arranging the prince's coronation as king. It was technically an event that was eight years overdue, but the dark-haired man insisted it could wait a few more weeks. The Falkenrath's, on the other hand, had been wrongfully robbed of their rightful station for far longer. Their affairs took precedence, and he eventually succeeded in persuading his chamberlain.

The pile of furniture used for the makeshift barricade at the castle doors was removed and the damaged pieces moved into the back rooms to be repaired. Fortunately, the dining room table was not among these and was moved back into place along with all the other undamaged pieces. Ahiru dragged Herr Katzenhaft and Pike off to show them the ballet studio Fakir had given her on his suggestion. The retired ballerina would not be removed from the room for several hours; he'd fallen in love at first sight. He only poked his head out long enough to ask a passing servant if the prince was in the market for a ballet instructor. To his good fortune, the servant in question was Mytho and he assured the man that if he wasn't he could soon be persuaded to be.

On top of getting the castle back in order, there was also the prince's birthday celebration to be considered. Fakir had secretly been hoping that, in all the commotion, the fact that it was supposed to be held on that _exact_ day. Autor was not so disorganized, though, and argued that they had even more reason to celebrate since they were no longer cursed. The dark-haired young man couldn't really argue with that and gave the chamberlain permission to do as he wished. The young chamberlain spent the rest of the day rushing around organizing a small feast, decorations, and inviting Ahiru's family and friends to attend as guests. The exasperated prince, an amused Ahiru, and the three guests soon found themselves being shanghaied by a group of servants under orders from the glasses-wearing young man to get them cleaned and dressed for the party. Yet in spite of Autor's vigorous efforts, it wasn't until late that evening that all the preparations were finished.

As he walked into the ballroom with Ahiru by his side, Fakir had to admit this was one of the nicest parties his chamberlain had arranged. The guests weren't annoying; in fact, he'd actually enjoyed talking to them over dinner. There were no gifts to be presented, but he didn't really care. Best of all, however, was that Ahiru _loved_ him and wanted to stay by his side! Finally, the time came for the dance to begin and Autor surprised him by announcing that the dancing that night would be in the form of ballet. He then caught him even further off guard by requesting that the new couple start things off with a pas de deux…yet they were happy to oblige. "I think this is my first actual happy birthday," the prince admitted with a faint grin as his blue-eyed maiden spun into his arms. "And now you have many more to look forward to," she smiled back. "So long as you are there by my side, I'm sure they will be," Fakir replied softly.

The End

A/N: IT'S DONE! FINALLY, AFTER EIGHT GOD-DAMN MONTHS, THIS STORY IS DONE! This is the longest it's ever taken me to finish a story…though not the longest I've had one in development. That honor goes to an original story that is still in the works that I came up with the original concept for when I was 13. Didn't start writing it until I was in my 20s. If I could stop writing fanfiction long enough to focus on it, I might actually finish it some day and maybe get it published… But that is irrelevant to here and now! I'm pretty happy with how this story turned out even though it took longer than I expected to finish it. I hope you all enjoyed it as well. And yes, I am aware of just how cheesy Fakir's little confession sounds. So was he. It was why he was blushing. Now to start work on my next project! Though I might take a few days off to recuperate before then. Actual completion date for the first draft of this story: May 20th, 2017! Who knows how long I will spend editing this before it is posted… Eh, whatever. The hard part's over! YAYS! ...Well, aside from my now standard go-back-over-the-whole-fic-and-hunt-down-all-mistakes-that-slipped-passed-me-the-first-time editing run. There is going to be a mass re-upload after I finish doing that because I am just that much of a bloody perfectionist. Aside from that, this is good bye for now, dear readers! Maybe we'll meet again in my next story…however long it takes me to finish _that_. Till then…fare thee well!


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